


The Chemistry Between Us

by astudyinfic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Bad Decisions, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Biochemist Isabelle, Biochemist Magnus, Eventual good parent Maryse, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Happily Ever After, M/M, Maryse tries but is largely unsuccessful, Misunderstandings, Pining, Professor Alec, Robert is a homophobe, beware of that in the first chapter, there's only one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 01:15:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 42,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14605977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Izzy's parents will never accept her new boyfriend, whom they expect her to bring home for the holidays.  Enter her best friend and colleague Magnus.  Sure, pretending to date is a terrible idea in the movies but as neither of them harbors any secret love for the other, Magnus figures this should be a simple weekend in the Hamptons with his friend.Until he meets Isabelle's brother and Magnus knows they have all the elements of a chemical reaction that is about to blow up in his face.





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> My 100th fic on AO3. And I wanted it to be something fun, so why not twist the old 'fake dating' trope on its head and throw in a little 'there's only one bed' while I'm at it.

With the time nearing midnight, there were only two people in the building crazy enough to still be working at that hour.  Hearing a dull thud from the other lab, followed by a low moan, Magnus called across the hall, “Isabelle, that sounded particularly painful.  Your titration not going well?” She looked over at him and smiled, shaking her head. They’d become great friends since she’d started working in the department.  Not many people could run a Western blot in six-inch heels and a low cut dress and still look absolutely professional. Magnus respected that.

“No, not that.  I’m just doing data analysis now.  Might be home by sunrise tonight,” she laughed, though it lacked her usual humor.  It wasn’t just her exhaustion, though Magnus knew that was part of it. They’d both been putting in late hours since the students left for the holidays the week before.  “But I realized that Christmas is this weekend and I still don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Turning off his burner in the lab - because no one wants to be the researcher who burnt down a multi-million dollar building - Magnus crossed the hall to join her in her lab.  “This still about dinner with your parents? I don’t really see what the big deal is.” Of course, Magnus was one to talk. He hadn’t spoken to his father in years, and while he saw his mother on occasion, he’d disappointed her by becoming a doctor of biochemistry instead of medicine.  He argued that either way he was Doctor Bane, but that wasn’t quite enough for her. He knew she was proud of him in her own way, but it got tiring having to explain what he did all the time.

“The big deal is that Jace, of all people, managed to get married this year, so he and his wife will be there.  My family knows I’ve been seeing someone for awhile now, but you’ve met Meliorn. He doesn’t exactly fit in with the Hamptons crowd.  They’ll take one look at him and the rest of the weekend will be them trying to run him off and Mel trying to be as obnoxious to them as possible.  Plus, he doesn’t even celebrate Christmas so he’d be bored out of his mind.” Magnus had met the boyfriend, the three of them going out drinking on occasion.  He was a nice guy, kind of strange but obviously devoted to Isabelle. Surely that would win him some points with the family, Magnus reasoned. Though, the face tattoo and veganism might lose him twice as many.

"So, your problem is that your family will not like your boyfriend?  Seems like the easy answer is to go alone. Tell them that he couldn't make it and leave it at that.  Didn't you say you have a perpetually single brother? Surely if he is coming by himself, then you could too."  Magnus honestly wasn't sure why Izzy was so broken up over this. It wasn't as if they were engaged and she was introducing them before the wedding.  This was just someone she'd been dating for a few months. If Izzy's description of her family was anything to go by, he would run and hide just like Meliorn.

Izzy sighed, "They know he exists and therefore they need to meet him to decide whether he is acceptable or not."  Magnus chuckled as she rolled her eyes. Not many grown adults could pull that off but Izzy managed it somehow. "As if their opinion would stop me from seeing him.  But it is all about appearances with them, so showing up with Meliorn is completely out but so is showing up without anyone because then I have to hear about how he obviously isn't good enough if he didn't show up for his interrogation.  I love my family but I hate my family, you know?"

Nodding, Magnus placed his hand on her shoulder.  "I know that feeling all too well. Unfortunately, we make do with the lot we are given.  I wish there was something I could do to help but it sounds like you are picking between two equally unpleasant options.  I can't make that decision for you."

He stood and was walking back to his own lab when Izzy said, "There is a third option, one I think you could help me with."  

Magnus turned back to her, curious what kind of solution she'd come up with and how he could possibly help in this situation.  "And what, my dear, is that?"

"You could go with me and pretend to be my boyfriend for the weekend."  

Her eyes lit up and Magnus almost said yes without thinking about it, just because of how happy she looked.  But then his mind caught up with what she said and he shook his head sharply. "No! No, no, no. Isabelle, you know that is a terrible idea.  How many romantic movies have you seen where that ends in absolute disaster? I am not going along with this. You either have to introduce your parents to your plant-eating, face-tattooed boyfriend, or go alone.  I will not be any part of this."

"Magnus," she whined.  "The plan only fails because the two people involved are harboring latent romantic feelings for one another and while I love you dearly, I have no desire whatsoever to date you.  I just want to get through one weekend with my family without the constant drama that my dating life tends to bring out."

"And you think bringing me, a bisexual man who wears makeup and jewelry, is going to be more acceptable to your parents than bringing Meliorn?"  He hardly thought that was possible.

"Well, no.  But you are far more diplomatic that he is.  Mel would probably just punch my dad in the face and be done with it.  You? You should have been a lawyer. You can talk circles around anyone.  My family wouldn't know what hit them."

Magnus was almost ready to concede.  He had no interest in dating Isabelle, no matter how much he loved spending time with her.  She was a gorgeous woman but they were destined to be friends and nothing more. And it would be fun to make people uncomfortable for the whole weekend.  Plus, he would finally get to meet the members of the family that Izzy actually likes and speaks so highly of. Between Jace and Alec and Max, and now Clary, Magnus would love to put faces to the names that pepper almost every conversation he's had with Isabelle.

She probably could see that she was wearing him down and smiled brighter, "Besides, are you really going to turn down a free trip to the Hamptons for the weekend?  My parents will buy you gifts, even if they don't like you, and we get to just hang out all weekend without worrying about work. You know if you don't come, you will just spend the holiday here like you always do."  Which was true but Magnus wasn't about to admit he had so little of a social life these days. Who knew being a research professor meant so much time actually researching?

"Okay, so what will this entail?  I mean, we will need to get our stories straight so they don't suspect anything.  We will need to be somewhat comfortable with physical affection because, after a few months, we would still be pretty much all over one another.  And the sleeping situation?"

Knowing she won, Izzy pulled out her phone to show him the email she received from her father's secretary.  "They're sending a car to pick me up on Thursday night. Normally they would pick up Alec too but he's been in Boston for some convention or workshop or something, I can never keep track, so he'll meet us there.  We can plan the story on the way up but it would be best to keep it as simple as possible. We met at work, started going out as friends and then realized there was something more there. We can deal with physical affection when the time comes but we won't be sleeping in the same room.  My parents would be horrified at the mere thought of it. We aren't married so separate rooms it will be. There's a guest room so most likely they'll put you up there. After that, we just sit back and enjoy annoying them."

It sounded almost too perfect and Magnus still feared there would be a catch somewhere along the way that would make him ever regret saying yes.  But the idea of another holiday alone in the lab was just too depressing to consider. So, with much trepidation, he nodded, "Fine, I will do this.  We can break up right after the holidays - or more specifically, you can break up with me because I refuse to be the bad guy here - and then we move on like nothing happened.  You can 'start' to date Meliorn and then it's up to you where that goes because I'll be out. Deal?"

“Thank you, Magnus!  I promise you won’t regret this.”  Izzy kissed his cheek. “You’re saving my life.”

“I hardly think this is a life or death situation, Isabelle.  Now, please try to get home before sunrise, and if you want me to walk you back, just let me know.”  Izzy could hold her own against anyone, Magnus knew that but he also worried about her safety all the same.  She shouldn’t have to be on alert while walking home after working all night to get her experiments done. But sometimes science called for sacrifices.  Sleep, food, and social life were the three things most often sacrificed. Three of Magnus’ favorite things, if he was being honest.

It would have been nice if someone told him about that before he chose biochemistry as a career.

"I'll be fine, Magnus.  You worry too much. You're almost as bad as my brother."  

He laughed and waved at her over his shoulder, "I hope you mean one of the attractive ones and not the child.  I don't think I would be able to go through with this plan if you compared me to a twelve-year-old."

"If the shoe fits!" she called after him, her laughter echoing down the otherwise silent halls.  It was her humor and happiness that pushed him forward for the rest of the night, eventually falling asleep in his office as the rest of the faculty started to arrive for the day.  

That Thursday found Magnus, bags in hand, standing outside their building, next to Isabelle who looked more nervous than Magnus had ever seen her.  "We don't have to do this, you know? You can always just tell them I'm a friend from work because your boyfriend couldn't make it."

"Well, technically he couldn't.  Meliorn went out into the woods to commune with nature for the solstice.  I assume he'll be back when we return. Or he'll have frozen to death in the upstate and I'll start shopping for a new boyfriend next semester."

"You speak as if there weren't men lining up around the block to spend time with you.  I think you'd be fine. Maybe even find someone who you wouldn't be embarrassed to introduce to your family."

A black town car pulled up in front of them and Magnus looked over at Izzy in confusion.  "This is the car your parents sent? I was expecting maybe an Uber or something."

"Magnus, we're going to the Lightwood _Estate_ in the _Hamptons_.  What part of that makes you think that an Uber is something my parents even know about, let alone would ever touch.  No, when they need us to come home, a black car like this appears and takes us where we need to be."

"Because that isn't ominous or anything.  Your parents frighten the hell out of me and I've never even met them."

"Well, you have about two hours before you will get the honor.  And then you will be begging me for a drink. Thankfully, they keep a well-stocked bar and no one else really drinks it besides Jace and me.  We'll let you in on it as well if it would help soften the blow of the holidays with the Lightwoods." Magnus thought about what kind of people her parents must be before Izzy interrupted his musings, "And you'll definitely need a drink before you meet Alec.  Liquid courage before meeting the grumpiest, smartest, most wonderful man in my life."

Magnus laughed, having heard so much about this brother who hated everyone but his siblings.  He was curious about him, if he was honest, but didn't expect much. "I thought I was supposed to be the most wonderful man in your life.  As your boyfriend, I'm hurt," he teased, to which Izzy just rolled her eyes.

"I think that somehow you will manage to persevere through this pain, dear," Izzy laughed and the two of them dissolved into giggles as the ridiculous of their situation caught up with them.  

The rest of the drive was spent in the sort of companionship Magnus had begun to associate with Izzy.  Things with her were effortless and he knew that if they were in fact dating, it would be remarkably easy.  But neither of them felt that way about the other, which made this as good of a situation as it could be. At least there wouldn't be any long, drawn-out confessions of feelings and angsty moments full of 'should I tell her how much I want this to be real' tension.  It was just two people trying to fool one of their families for a few days, and enjoying the time away from work the rest of the time.

Pulling up to the house, Magnus immediately reconsidered how easy this was going to be.  While his own father was well off and Magnus had never wanted for money, it appeared the Lightwoods were in a class by themselves.  When Izzy told him they were going to an estate in the Hamptons, he expected large. He hadn't expected massive.

The home was long and narrow, sprawled along a private beach.  The gated entry opened immediately for their car and considering the number of large homes they'd passed, Magnus wondered just why they felt the need to keep it gated.  Surely crime wasn't a big concern out this way.

Despite it being December, the weather was nearly mild and the clouds high enough that when they caught a glimpse of the ocean, it went on forever.  "Did I ever tell you that I lived in Indonesia until I was eleven?" he asked as they pulled up in front of the home. "I've always been drawn to the ocean, so if you can't find me, I'll probably be out on the beach."  Not in the water though. He was nostalgic, not stupid. The water off the coast of New York in December could not be comparable to the water of his home country, either in temperature or clarity. But it was still water and therefore, it was where Magnus wanted to be.

Izzy climbed out of the car and was instructing the driver where to take their things while Magnus followed her out.  "Don't worry, Mags," she grinned, offering him her arm. "There will be plenty of time to go down to the beach while we are here.  Usually at least one of the nights all of us kids make a big bonfire and just hang out for most of the night. Our parents don't like it but they mostly just pretend it doesn't happen and we don't talk about it in front of them.  It makes everyone happier that way."

Leading the way into the house, Izzy explained where everything was, random memories from different things they passed.  While Magnus assumed they had some sort of destination in mind, Izzy never clued him into what that was, so he just followed and tried to absorb as much information as he could.  "So, all of our bedrooms are down that way. Jace and Alec are on the left, Max and me on the right. At the end of the hall are the guest room and the bathroom. Jace and Alec's rooms open right out onto the beach.  I was afraid of the ocean when I was little so I chose a room that faced away from it, so mine and Max's both open into the garden."

Magnus expected to turn down that hall, maybe see the guest room where he expected to be staying.  Instead, Izzy turned them down a separate hall. There were only a few rooms down this way and he wondered where they were going.  Voices could be heard from inside one of the rooms and that was where Izzy stopped, knocking lightly on the door. "Just be calm. It will be over before you know it," she whispered.  

"Not very reassuring my dear," he laughed trying to ignore his nerves.  

"It wasn't meant to be."  He couldn't ask more because the door opened and Magnus was faced with the most intimidating woman he'd ever seen.

With a severe ponytail, a tight dress and heels that were too tall to be healthy, Magnus knew that he was meeting Izzy’s mother.  The similarities were too obvious for her to be anyone else. “Isabelle, are you going to introduce us?” she asked, stepping out of their way so the two of them could enter what appeared to be a den or an office.  There was a man in there with Izzy’s mom, who Magnus assumed to be her father, even though the similarities weren’t nearly as obvious.

“Mom, dad, this is my boyfriend, Magnus.  Magnus, these are my parents, Robert and Maryse Lightwood.”  

Magnus stepped forward extending his hand.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Isabelle has told me so much about you.”  Maryse shook his hand and, unless Magnus was imagining it, actually gave him a small smile.

Robert, however, was a different story.  “When you said you were bringing your new boyfriend, I thought that maybe you had finally settled down and chosen someone suitable.  But, it seems you have yet again chosen to embarrass your family rather than enhance it." Magnus raised a brow. He'd known her family was traditional but that was harsh.  "He looks more like someone who would be of Alec's persuasion. Are you sure he isn't just using you for your money?"

"And you do know that I am standing right here, right?" Magnus asked, unable to hold his tongue.  "For the record, your daughter asked me out. I did not know about your family's money until the car pulled in front of the building to pick us up, and what you mean by Alec's persuasion, you certainly don't mean it as a compliment. So managing to insult two children and one person you have never met before is a talent that not many possess.  It's also one that most people would be embarrassed to have but you don't seem like the man who cares what people think of him as long as they are giving him money."

Magnus very rarely used his father's name in everyday conversation but for once, it was going to come in handy.  "I am a professor of biochemistry at the same university Isabelle works for. If that isn't enough for you, not prestigious enough, my father is Asmodeus Bane.  I come from a strong, rich family a lot like the Lightwoods. The only difference is that my father would know how to treat a guest, even one he sees as unpleasant or unwelcome.  Maybe you should stop by his house sometime and see how he treats you. It would be a good lesson in manners."

Turning to Izzy, Magnus gave her a small smile.  "Isabelle, darling, I'm going to wait for you out in the hall.  I know when I have overstayed my welcome." He kissed her cheek and left the room without another word to either of the parents.  Closing the door, Magnus leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

"They're like that sometimes," a man said, stepping out of one of the other rooms.  When Magnus' eyes fell on him, his breath caught in his throat and he wondered if maybe he'd died in that office and he was seeing an angel.  "Wait until dinner. You will get to hear each and every way we are all disappointments to them."

The man hadn't looked up from the book he was holding until that moment and when he did, he froze and stared just as Magnus was doing.  "I, um, I'm Alec," he stuttered, which Magnus couldn't help but find adorable. "You must be Izzy's..."

"Boyfriend," Magnus supplied, hating his life even as he did it.  He'd promised to be the perfect boyfriend for the weekend, to fool her family into thinking that he was the one she was dating.  Pressing her older brother against the wall and breaching his mouth with his tongue would not set a good first impression. It would definitely confirm all the feelings Robert seemed to have about him.  "It's all very new and I'm not sure if it will work out but I am hoping it will. Isabelle is someone I like having in my life." The fake relationship would never work out, Magnus knew that, but he also knew Izzy was the type of friend he would keep close forever.

Raised voices reached them from inside the room and Alec chuckled to himself.  "That explains the screaming. They haven't liked anyone she brought home since she was five and found a raccoon that she was convinced was a stray cat.  Don't take it personally. We all think that if my dad someday likes someone we bring home, they will be completely awful. Him hating you is a step in the right direction." Alec paused and looked thoughtful, "I guess someone they bring home would be more accurate.  I've never brought anyone personally."

Magnus smiled at him, "So you're the famous older brother I've heard so much about.  Are you smart enough just to not introduce your family to the people you see? I tried to convince Isabelle that she should do that but she had made up her mind and there is no changing it after that.  I'm not sure stubborn is even a strong enough term for her."

"Yeah, I'm Alec.  Eldest and black sheep."  When the sounds inside the room became more muffled, Alec glanced around and gave Magnus an apologetic smile.  "She'll be out in a minute. It was nice to meet you. It is rare that I like the people Izzy dates. Not that I would ever tell her that."  And like that, he was gone and Magnus was left staring at the door he'd appeared from.

The whole situation was surreal.  Fake dating a good friend, hot brother, trapped in a house for the weekend with a family that obviously didn't want him here.  Yeah, this was going to work out just fine.

"Magnus," Izzy smiled at him as she left the room, shutting the door quickly behind her.  "Sorry about my dad. He's pretty awful. Mom was trying to defend you, though, so you should be fine for the rest of the weekend.  We'll just avoid him and things will be okay." Magnus could appreciate her optimism, even if he didn't hold it himself. "Sorry for leaving you alone for so long."

"Actually, your brother was here.  He helped me pass the time."

Izzy laughed, "Yeah, Jace is good for that.  Even if his ideas are generally terrible, he is good entertainment.  I am not surprised you two hit it off already. Wait until you meet his wife Clary.  She's an artist and I think you two will get along just fine."

It took a moment before Magnus realized her error.  "Oh, no, not Jace. The tall, dark, and handsome one."

A myriad of emotions passed over her face so quickly, Magnus didn't have a chance to decipher them all before settling into cautious surprise.  "Alec? He spoke to you willingly? And didn't just hide in his library? Are you sure it wasn't Jace? Or maybe Max?"

"Well, he said he was Alec.  So unless one of them is playing a prank, I am pretty sure he was who he said he was.  And he was very friendly. I'm not sure why you are so concerned."

Izzy slipped her arm through his and led him away from the den and out into the main part of the room.  "Alec doesn't like anyone. I mean, he loves us, but ever since he came out, he's been more closed off than usual.  Probably because of how my father speaks about him."

"So when he said I looked like I was more of Alec's persuasion..."

"Yeah, he was saying you looked like you were gay.  It's awful and we've all tried to talk some sense into him, but while we're all here, Alec mostly just hides and avoids everyone until Jace and I drag him out."

Magnus saw things in a different light now and cursed his traitorous heart for beating in double time when he found out Alec liked men.  You're dating Isabelle, he told himself again and again. Not that he thought Izzy would be too insulted if he asked out her brother once this little charade was over, but he didn't want to cause tensions in the family.

"Well, I suppose you could say your father was half right.  I'm bisexual so gender really isn't an obstacle for me in any way when it comes to infatuation."  He didn't dare say love. Even with Camille, Magnus had never experienced true love before. Maybe someday.  For now, he was fine fake dating one of his best friends and ogling her gorgeous older brother over the holiday weekend.

Izzy laughed, "Yeah?  Maybe I'll hook you up with Alec when this is all done.  God knows he could use someone with some style in his life.  Maybe he'd actually listen to you."

Slipping his arm through hers, Magnus shook his head, "Darling, don't say things like that.  I might start to get ideas and what would your family say if they caught me in bed with your big brother while I was supposed to be here as your boyfriend."

As she tensed next to him, Izzy bit her lip, "About that...  Let's go find Alec so I can explain everything just once."

The excitement at seeing Alec again was severely tempered my Magnus' confusion over what Izzy had to tell them.  She wouldn't be ending this sham already, would she? Magnus couldn't be that lucky.

Leading him down a seemingly endless series of halls, she eventually let them into one tucked away on the far side of what appeared to be the main sitting room.  This room was a book lover's dream, with floor to ceiling shelves filled with enough books to make the science library at the university jealous. Alec was tucked away in a corner, seated in an armchair that had seen better days, reading something so intently, Magnus doubted he even heard them come in.

"Alec!" Izzy called, causing the other man to startle and nearly drop his book.  "I need to talk to you. You've already met Magnus, right?"

"Yeah, when Dad was yelling at you about your inappropriate choice in men."  Alec set the book down and came to stand next to them. Despite the height he had on them both, Alec's all black clothing and slouched posture made him feel like the smallest person in the room to Magnus.  "Why you keep bringing them home, I don't know. You know how it is going to end. You are just setting both of you up for pain and suffering."

Izzy shrugged, unapologetic and Magnus had to bite his tongue to keep from explaining to Alec that she didn't, in fact, bring her boyfriend home because that would have been ten times worse.  Instead, he listened while Izzy explained. "I'm not going to apologize for liking who I like, just as you don't apologize either. It isn't my fault that his closed brain can't handle anyone who doesn't look like they just stepped off a yacht in Cape Cod.  Besides, Magnus is awesome and Dad might actually realize that if he pulls his head out of his ass long enough to get to know him."

Alec snorted a laugh, an adorable sound that made Magnus smile despite himself.  "Like that is ever going to happen, Iz. Just accept he's going to hate everyone you bring home and stop hoping he will eventually approve."

Magnus’ heart went out to them.  Whatever problems he had with his family, his sexuality wasn’t one of them.  His parents all accept that much, which was a nice change of pace since everything else he did was a disappointment.  But Izzy and Alec? Apparently, they couldn’t date anyone without being a let down to their father. Magnus wished he could help but it was quite clear Robert Lightwood wasn’t the least bit interested in hearing what he had to say.

“So, I need to talk to you both,” Izzy said, brushing past what Alec said as if it were nothing.  “Apparently Jace and Clary brought someone home with them for Christmas. Simon, I think they said his name was.  Anyway, they gave him the guest room.”

Frowning, Magnus could see where this was going.  If they gave him the guest room, Magnus was probably sleeping on the couch or something similar.  It could be worse but it certainly wasn’t ideal. Mostly because he liked the idea of having a place to retreat to when family drama grew to be too much.  “So, can I have the library?” he asked with a smirk, trying to pass it off as a joke. “I’m assuming the ‘no unmarried couples sleeping in the same room’ rule still applies?”  Which was fine with him. He didn’t really relish having to share a bed with Izzy.

“Yeah, they’re ridiculous but their house, their rules.  Apparently, it would set a bad example for Max. Like he ever looks up from his video games long enough to notice anything going on around him.”  Izzy flipped her hair over her shoulder. “But, they really didn’t think this through, which is why I find the whole situation hilarious.”

Magnus raised a brow and Alec gestured for her to get on with it.  “Magnus, you’re sharing the room with Alec. Sorry, big bro. Mom’s orders.”  

Sharing a bed with an attractive man seemed like Magnus’ idea of heaven. Except for the fact that he was supposedly dating said man’s sister and said man froze in place the moment his sister spoke.  “No. I’ll talk to them. Just, no.” And without another word, Alec turned and left the room.

“Should I be insulted?” he asked, staring after the retreating form of Izzy’s brother.  “I feel like I should be insulted.”

Izzy laughed and shook her head.  “Nah, that’s just Alec. It will be fine.  Probably won’t even talk to you the whole time.”  She spoke as if that was a good thing and not the exact opposite of what Magnus wanted.  Actually, right now he wanted to go corner the man and demand to know what his problem was but instead, Izzy took his hand, “So, let’s go find Jace and Clary, and this Simon guy.  Then we can get settled in.”

It wasn’t hard to find the couple, their friendly bickering carried down the hall.  “No, Jace. I don’t care if your family has seen you naked before. You are not walking around without a shirt on!”

“Come on, babe,” the voice that probably belonged to Jace whined.  “No one will care.”

“It is almost literally freezing out there, Jace.   _I_ will care.  Particularly if you catch pneumonia.  If that happens, maybe your abs will take care of you because I am not nursing your whiny butt back to health.”

“You love my butt and you know it.”

Izzy was laughing, leaning against the door jam watching them.  “Do you two ever actually get along? If this is what married life is like, count me out.”  She tugged Magnus closer and he got his first look at the two people inside. As expected, the man was standing there without a shirt on.  He supposed that the man was attractive if you were into that kind of guy, but Magnus preferred to the be the more high maintenance one in the relationship.  With more than one, you ended up with people fighting over the bathroom and it just ended in disaster. Besides, Jace was attractive and he knew it if the fact that he wanted to walk around without a shirt on in the middle of December was anything to go by.  A definite turn off.

“Who’s this?” Jace asked, pulling on the shirt Clary shoved into his hands.  Magnus had to bite back a smile, amused at how well the tiny redhead handled her husband.  

Izzy pushed Magnus forward.  “This is Magnus, my boyfriend.  Dad hates him so you will all get along just fine.”

“Robert hated me too,” Clary smiled, stepping forward to shake his hand.  “I’m Clary. This is Jace. It’s nice to meet you. I brought my best friend with me so I wouldn’t be the only one not related this year.  Jace didn’t tell me Izzy was bringing someone.”

“Izzy didn’t tell me either!  You can’t pin this on me for a change,” Jace said, hands up as if that could defend him against whatever his wife might throw his way.  “And what do you mean Robert hated you? He still does, last I checked.”

“I’m growing on him!  He didn’t insult me last time.”

“He also didn’t talk to you.  I don’t see how that is much of an improvement.”

She shoved him playfully and Magnus laughed.  He liked her, that much was true. Whether he would like Jace or not remained to be seen, but he appeared to be a good enough guy, so Magnus was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“So,” Jace said, turning to face Magnus.  “Do I need to give you the talk? Because Izzy is very important to all of us and if you hurt her, I will kill you.”  

Magnus raised a brow because he very much doubted that would happen but he appreciated the sentiment behind it none the less.  “Trust me when I say that I will never break your sister’s heart. I give you my word on that.” Hard to break something that was never yours, to begin with.

After a moment of staring intently at Magnus’ face, Jace nodded.  “Alright, I trust you. Also because I know that whatever I do to you wouldn’t be half as bad as what Alec would do.  And Izzy is even worse than that. So, you would really have to be an idiot to do anything to hurt her in any way.” Seeing the way Isabelle took on the anyone in the department who gave her any trouble, Magnus knew she was a force to be reckoned with.  If her brothers thought she was the tough one in the family, then Magnus believed them

Placing his hand on his heart, Magnus smiled.  “I give you my word as a gentleman and a scholar.”  Izzy snorted behind him and he turned to glare over his shoulder. “That is quite enough from you,” he laughed and Izzy spit out her tongue at him.  

Clary watched the interaction intently and Magnus wondered what was going through her mind.  “Where’s Magnus sleeping?” she asked. “I just realized bringing Si probably threw off all the sleeping arrangements.  I can make him sleep in here on the floor if that is easier. Or I can make Jace sleep on the floor.”

“Hey!”

“Just kidding.”  Clary kissed him, unable to contain her grin at his reaction.

Deciding it was best to end this marital strife now before it got too far, Magnus shook his head.  “No, it’s fine. I’m sure Alec and I can be adults about this.”

Jace’s eyes went wide before he started to laugh.  “Whose brilliant idea was it to have you share a room with Alec?  How did you get him to agree to this?” Seeing Magnus’ baffled expression, Jace shook his head.  “Nothing about you, mate. It’s just that Alec doesn’t like anyone. Ever. And he definitely doesn’t like having anyone in his room.  So, they must be really pissed at both of you to have you rooming together. I thought they’d make you share with Simon or something.”

“No,” Izzy interrupted, rolling her eyes.  “Apparently Simon is a guest. I’m not sure what that makes Magnus, and why that means he has to sleep with Alec.”  Magnus had to bite his lip to stop from choking at that little line. “But you know mom and dad. We do what we can and then just tiptoe around the rest of the rules.  It will be fine. Alec won’t actually kill him or anything. He’ll just be more sullen and withdrawn than usual.”

“Well, that is reassuring.”  Magnus sighed and shook his head.  This whole family was crazy. He kind of liked them, but they were definitely crazy.  “Since I don’t think I’ll be allowed in the room until it is time to actually sleep, does anyone want to walk out to the beach with me?”  
“I will!” Clary volunteered.  “Give Izzy and Jace time to catch up, and I can fill you in on everything you need to know about weekends with the Lightwood clan.”  

With everyone on board with that plan, Magnus and Clary headed for the beach while Izzy and Jace went to find their brother.  “So, where is this Simon I keep hearing so much about?” The moment they were outside the house, Magnus felt like he could breathe again.  Between one parent that hated him and one that seemed indifferent, his fake girlfriend, his fake girlfriend’s siblings, and all the stress surrounding everything, Magnus was relieved to get away, even if it was with someone from the family.  Though, Clary was only family by marriage, not blood, so that made things a little better.

“Turns out that town cars and Simon do not mix well.  He was feeling car sick by the time we arrived, so he’s taking a nap.  Si and I have known each other since we were kids. He’s been my best friend since the moment we met.  I think you’ll like him. He talks a lot but he has a heart of gold.” Clary’s praise for her best friend was charming and Magnus found himself smiling just listening to her talk.  “He’ll be there for dinner.”

At the beach, Magnus stared out at the ocean, losing himself in the sights, the sounds, and the smells.  Even though the water was a different color and it was far colder than he was used to, the ocean still felt like home.  “I grew up on an island,” he explained when he noticed that Clary hadn’t said anything. Or that he hadn’t heard her. “I always forget how much I miss the water until I get back to a beach.

“I was born and raised in New York,” Clary offered.  “My mom’s an artist like me, or maybe I’m an artist like her.  There wasn’t ever enough money to go on vacations. Until I met Jace, I’d never seen the ocean.  Not like this. It’s kind of scary.”

“Maybe a little,” Magnus shrugged.  “But comforting, at least for me.”

They walked along the shore, not really speaking, just lost in their own thoughts until Clary said without preamble, “I know you’re not dating Izzy.  I’ve seen her with her boyfriend. So unless you chopped your hair, gained a ton of muscle and managed to lose the tattoo on your face, you aren’t her boyfriend.”

“Does Jace know?”  Magnus wasn’t sure if he was relieved or upset by this news.  If they all knew, then they could stop this charade and just hang out for the weekend.  But, Izzy was so set on passing him off as her boyfriend that he worried she would be upset.  

Clary shook her head, “No.  I won’t tell him either if you don’t want.  There must be a reason for it. I know you must be a good friend of hers if you agreed to this but you know how bad things like this end, right?”

“Trust me, I told her.  Izzy felt this was necessary for some reason.  Though, considering how their father reacted to me, I can only imagine what he would have said if she showed up with Meliorn.  But he’s off celebrating the holiday in his own way, so I am here in his place.”

Clary seemed to accept that and Magnus was glad to have one person he could talk to about the whole situation.  “Just don’t get hurt, okay? You or Izzy. I love Lightwood family drama as much as the next person - I would have to in order to marry into this family - but I don’t want to find out what would happen if Robert found out his favorite child was lying to him.”

“Favorite child?  You didn’t hear the way he spoke to her.  If that is how he talks to his favorite...”  Magnus trailed off, not wanting to consider just how bad it could get.

“Alec gets it the worst.  He’s a disappointment to them for some reason.  I know it is hard to believe but it is the greatest guy.  Once you get to know him he’s funny and sweet and he loves his family with his whole heart.  He’s also the second smartest person I’ve ever met, behind Iz. They are usually okay with Jace but that’s because he isn’t a Lightwood in name or blood so he is spared a lot of the pressure placed on the other three.  And they shipped Max off to boarding school the moment he was old enough, so he almost never sees his family. The whole thing kind of sucks.”

Magnus’ heart went out to them, and he understood why Izzy brought him instead of Meliorn.  He was a known entity. She knew how he would react to Magnus. Meliorn was in a world of his own, and that could have made things so much worse.  His interest in Alec was piqued, however. Clary’s description of him didn’t exactly match up with the man he’d met.

He wanted to question her on it but instead, Clary looked back to the house and sighed, "We should probably get back in there.  Dinner starts promptly at five and if we aren't there, then it is miserable for everyone." It felt like there was a story there but Clary didn't offer any more information.  

They made their way back to the house, sand shifting under their feet and making Magnus walk as unsteadily as he felt.  He knew this plan was a terrible idea but there was nothing he could do to get out of it. "Dinner is going to be horribly stressful, isn't it."

"You have no idea," Clary muttered.  

Taking their seats at the table, Magnus found himself seated between Alec and Izzy, with Clary, Jace, and the man he assumed to be Simon seated across from them.  Max apparently chose to take his meals in his room, a wise choice if Clary's ominous warning was to be believed, so the parents were at either end of the table. Tension hung in the air and Magnus felt Izzy's hand in his, giving it a light squeeze before dropping it once more.

As he'd been warned, the dinner started with a list of everything the children had done wrong in their lives.  Jace's career wasn't what they wanted it to be and by the time they saw him again, it was expected that he would at least own the business he'd been the manager of since graduating.  The only complaint they had about Izzy was related to Magnus and her horrible taste in men. He could understand that even accept it. If he was the worse thing about Isabelle, then she was doing just fine.

But then, Robert turned his attention to Alec and the whole room got deathly silent.  A glare from their father to Izzy and Jace kept them quiet even as Magnus could see how much they wanted to stand up for him.  

"Still working that useless job?" Robert asked, and Magnus saw Alec exhale.  Maybe this wasn't as bad he'd feared?

Alec shook his head, "I still have the same job and you know it isn't useless.  I love what I do and just because you don't understand that doesn't mean it doesn't matter."

"You're never going to do anything with your life looking at dusty old manuscripts.  You need to find some way to make that into a career. No child of mine is going to sit around reading books all day when you could be out making a difference in the world."

"You mean making money?  There is more to life than that, Father.  I teach, I research, I translate. I bring knowledge back to humanity that has been missing for generations because no one bothered to relearn the language.  I'm sorry you don't understand that."

Magnus raised a brow, curious now what department Alec was in.  He should have asked that earlier.

"Yes, is that what you call it?  I call it a waste of time and money.  You probably just used your trust fund to finance your degenerate lifestyle."

"Dad, I'm gay.  You have known this for over ten years.  It's time for you to get over it."

Robert's nose wrinkled in disgust and Magnus closed his fist, eager for a chance to punch that look right off his face.  "Never. You either come to your senses or maybe you stay in New York for the next holiday."

"You have no idea how happy that would make me," Alec growled.  Pushing back from the chair, Alec set his napkin down. "If you'll excuse me, I don't have much of an appetite."

Magnus watched him walk away, angered that no one went after him.  He started to stand and Izzy pulled him back down. “Alec doesn’t want to see anyone right now.  Just leave him be. He’ll be fine.”

Unconvinced but knowing there really wasn't much he could do, Magnus sat there, glaring at Robert whenever he could and enjoying one of the most painfully uncomfortable meals he could remember having over the course of his life.  Despite the unpleasantness that probably awaited him when he tried to go to bed, Magnus still retired early, figuring unconsciousness had to be better than sitting with Izzy’s parents and not punching them.

Slowly, Magnus removed all his makeup in the bathroom before heading to bed, trying to stall for as long as he could before facing Alec.  He eventually knocked on the door they directed him to and figured the grunt on the other side was permission to enter. Stepping inside, he gave Alec a small smile.  “I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Izzy told me I would be sleeping in a guest room. If I knew I would be intruding, I would have suggested I just stay in New York.”

Alec shrugged, “It’s fine.”  

Monotone and flat, Magnus worried about the other man but didn’t say anything while he undressed and changed into his pajamas.  The cobalt blue silk looked good against his skin, particularly since he didn’t sleep with a shirt on. Magnus hoped that wouldn’t be a problem but Alec didn’t even look at him.

They both climbed into bed, laying on the far edges of the mattress when Alec turned off the light.  Exhaustion from the trip up and the day spent with Izzy’s family was catching up with him and Magnus knew he would be asleep in no time.  But he wanted to take advantage of the dark to say something he probably wouldn’t have to Alec’s face. “What you said to your father was very brave.  And I know we don’t know each other, but I have a good deal of respect for you. You are strong, Alexander, and you don’t deserve to be treated that way.”

Alec remained silent as Magnus assumed he would, but just as he was drifting off, he heard in the softest of whispers, “ _Thank you._ ”


	2. Day 2

As often happened, when he woke the next morning, Magnus was quite confused.  It took a moment for him to remember where he was and why. Only then did he realize the bed was empty aside from him.  When Alec left, Magnus didn’t know, but his side of the bed was still warm.

Namely, because Magnus was sleeping in it.  Hugging Alec’s pillow, Magnus woke slowly, surrounded by the scent of a man who probably couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with him.  Or, maybe Magnus had cuddled up against him in his sleep and made everything uncomfortable.

With a heavy sigh, Magnus rolled onto his back and considered his situation.  For the next two days, he was stuck in a house with an entire family that thought he was dating Isabelle.  All in all, not a terrible situation to be in. A little awkward, sure, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He loved Izzy and for her, he’d do pretty much anything.  

Her father was a piece of work, a man who obviously hated his own son and didn’t really like the rest of his kids either.  They all seemed to think he liked them, at least a little, and was just strict, but Magnus couldn’t imagine a parent speaking to their child like that and still being able to claim they loved them.   And if he hated Alec, he was going to hate Magnus too. Again, nothing he couldn’t handle, if it was directed at himself. It was the fact that he had to sit there and listen to Robert berate Alec over everything for no reason other than his own hatred that had Magnus wishing he could just call an uber and go home.

But if he did that, Robert would win and Izzy would lose.  So that was out of the question. If he wasn’t imagining it, Alec actually appreciated Magnus’ words the night before so maybe they could come to some sort of friendship to get them both through what was already proving to be a trying weekend.

And therein lay the final problem.  Magnus didn’t want friendship with Alec.  He wanted to kiss that man senseless, curl up with him in front of a fire, get a house with a white picket fence and two-point-five kids.  No dog though. Chairman Meow would never appreciate it. And yes, his imagination and heart tended to run away from him without his consent but there was something about the man that drew him in.  Both in waking hours and while asleep if the fact that he was gripping Alec’s pillow like a lifeline was anything to go by.

It had only been a few hours, though, and Magnus was a consummate gentleman.  He wouldn’t make a move on the man for many reasons, the main one being how much it would hurt Izzy.  Not her feelings. He knew she didn’t look at him like that but her family would be very judgemental if they knew the arrangement they’d come to.  Magnus didn’t even question that fact. Considering everything he’d seen the day before, he couldn’t believe that the family would be supportive of this in the least.  

And if Alec thought Magnus was dating his sister, then any advances he made wouldn’t be appreciated anyway.  Maybe after they broke up? Maybe then Magnus could tell Alec the truth and they could go out on a date? Maybe.  

It was that maybe that Magnus decided to cling to.  Because if he could get through this weekend without causing any kind of scene, then he might have a chance.  He thought Izzy might even help set them up if her whining over their shared lunches about his perpetual singledom was anything to go by.  So, he needed to survive two more days and then he could figure out what to do about the Alec situation.

With a plan in place, Magnus pulled himself from the bed, looking at his reflection in the mirror.  Thankful he’d had the sense to take off his makeup the night before, he only had to deal with his hair and put some eyeliner on before going to track down his “girlfriend” and the object of his affection.  

And the rest of the family too, he supposed.

Grabbing his things, Magnus stepped out into the hall to find there was already a line for the bathroom.  “How is it possible a house this size only has one bathroom for all these bedrooms?” he complained to Simon who stood in front of him, shifting from foot to foot suspiciously.  

“I don’t know but if your girlfriend doesn’t hurry up, I’m going to go borrow the one in the master suite.  I don’t care how terrifying their father is. This is an emergency.”

“Here, Sherwin.  Let me see if I can help.”  He pushed past Simon as well as Clary who was just standing there laughing at her friend.  Knocking on the door, Magnus called out, “Isabelle? Darling, you need to get out of the bathroom.  We both know you are beautiful and I’m pretty sure Solomon might explode if you make him wait any longer.”  

He ignored Simon’s protests that neither of those were actually his name, as well as the way Clary laughed at him.  Whether it was because she found his misuse of Simon’s name hilarious, or she thought his act as a doting boyfriend was amusing, he didn’t know.  “That’s enough from you, Biscuit. Are you sure your hubby isn’t the one in here? He looks like he takes just as long as Isabelle to get ready in the morning.”

“I’m certain,” Clary smirked.  “He and Alec went for a run first thing this morning.  They do it every chance they get. It’s best to get in and out of the bathroom before they get back though because otherwise, this part of the house is going to smell like a locker room before too long.”  

Magnus didn’t say anything, his mind short-circuiting somewhere after _Alec_ and _run_.  Because that was not an image he needed.  Alec in shorts but no shirt, sweaty and out of breath.  Yeah, when he got into the bathroom, he was going to need a cold shower to get that image out of his mind.  Or at least to tuck it away until he had a chance to deal with it properly. Shaking his head in a desperate attempt to get a handle on his runaway imagination, Magnus smirked.  “So that is where my illusive roommate was this morning. I worried I’d scared him off.”

Izzy chose that moment to exit, looking as perfect as always and Simon pushed past them all to take the bathroom for himself.  “Alec and Jace have this thing where they run together whenever they can. They also go to the gym every morning while in the city.  It’s why my brothers are both in such good shape. I mean, you’d have to be blind not to see it, right?”

He briefly wondered if she was testing him.  But now was neither the time nor the place to question what she meant by that.  Instead, Magnus smiled and kissed the top of her head, “You know I only have eyes for you.”  But if he was answering properly, then he’d tell her he had no idea what Blondie looked like, except that he was blond, but Alexander put Michelangelo's David to shame.  Which might be overstating it a bit, but Magnus was allowed a little hyperbole inside the privacy of his own mind.

“Good answer, Magnus,” Izzy laughed.  “I’m going to the kitchen to start breakfast.”

He didn’t miss the look of abject horror that passed over Clary’s face and she slipped an arm around Izzy’s shoulder.  “I’ll help you. I don’t think I need to supervise your boyfriend getting ready in the morning. Plus, we never get to talk anymore, so we should do that before the boys interrupt us.”  Clary threw him a wink and the two women disappeared down the hall. She was having way too much fun with this.

Though, Magnus would have been as well, if he wasn’t the one involved in this little conspiracy.

Thankfully, Simon only took a few minutes in the bathroom before hurrying down the hall to find Simon and Clary.  Magnus stepped in to claim the room for himself before the brothers could get back and kick him out of there. He was in desperate need of a shower, both for the sake of his hair as well as a need to cool his body from the images his mind wouldn’t stop providing him.  

Like everything else in this house, the shower was the epitome of luxury and Magnus wondered how he would be able to go back to the rather mundane shower in his own loft when he returned to Brooklyn.  With enough space in here for two grown men, Magnus’ mind started to wander once more and he was soon palming his erection, looking for some relief.

But he couldn’t do that.  He wasn’t going to jerk off to thoughts of his fake girlfriend’s brother while in the shower at their house.  That was a line Magnus didn’t think he was ready to cross just yet. Instead, he reached up and turned the water as cold as it would go, yelping when it froze his skin and promptly killed all arousal he was feeling.  Sure, he still wanted Alec but this was a milder ache and not an all-encompassing inferno.

Once clean and settled, he stepped out and took the time to do his hair and makeup.  While he originally planned to keep it low-key, just some eyeliner, perhaps - Robert’s reaction to both him and Alec the night before was all the motivation Magnus needed to pull out his entire makeup kit and got to work.  

Normally, when Magnus did his makeup for just a normal day, he liked to keep it subtle.  No need to go all out when you were just lounging around the house, as he expected they would do that day.  But, if Robert was bound and determined to be uncomfortable around him, then Magnus intended to give him every reason to be.  By the time he was done, he thought he looked amazing but he knew it would upset the Lightwood patriarch to no end.

COnfident that his hair and makeup looked good, Magnus wrapped a towel around himself and stepped into the hall, ready to hurry across and get dressed before Alec returned home.  Unfortunately, luck was not on his side and he nearly ran into Alec and Jace as they came down the hall to go to their respective rooms. Magnus understood immediately what Clary meant about the hall becoming a locker room but what was more pressing was the sight of Alec standing there in front of him with no shirt.  

And Magnus was wearing nothing but a towel that would do nothing to cover any _reaction_ he might have to Alec’s presence.

Thankfully, Alec just stood, not talking, not moving.  “Alexander?” he asked as Jace brushed past him, heading into his own room.  “Are you alright? Too much running? I tend to avoid that myself. I understand exercise is important but I’m not going to run unless something is chasing me.”  There were exercises that Magnus enjoyed, but running for no reason other than exercise was not one of them.

“Then...how?”  Alec asked, gesturing at Magnus’ chest before he obviously remembered where he was and who he was talking to.  Blushing a furious red that had nothing to do with the exertion of his run, Alec darted around Magnus and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.  

Magnus briefly considered yelling at him through the door just what kinds of exercise he liked but since he was supposed to be Alec’s sister’s boyfriend, that sort of flirting would not be welcomed, he was sure.  But Alec’s obvious appreciation of his body did wonders for Magnus’ self-esteem and he was still grinning when he hurried to the room they were sharing. If Alec was taking a shower, Magnus needed to be out of the room before he got back.  Because fake girlfriend or not, Magnus was only human and he wouldn’t be able to show the same restraint he did in the hall when faced with Alec Lightwood dripping wet and wrapped in a towel.

By the time they’d all showered, dressed, and gathered in the kitchen, Magnus understands the look of horror Clary had when Izzy said she was going to make breakfast.  She was a brilliant woman, one of the most skilled biochemists he had the honor of working with. She was fashionable, social, and the life of a party. The person you could cry to, who always knew what to say when your life seemed to be falling apart.

But a chef, she was not.

Simon was poking at a bowl of something that looked like it might have been oatmeal at one point but had congealed to the point that it was more rock than breakfast.  Somehow, Izzy managed to eat it but the rest of them were all doing their best to move it around the bowl and looked like they hoped there would be a chance to sneak food later when she wasn’t looking.  “So, Lightwoods and assorted others, what is the plan for the day?” he asked. If it was also an excuse to throw away some of his, um, glob of breakfast, that was just convenient.

“Didn’t Izzy tell you?” Jace asked, arm around Clary’s shoulders, his hair perfectly styled as opposed to Alec, whose hair was dripping onto his shirt still.  “Christmas Eve tradition. It’s time to do our shopping,”

"Right, yes, I forgot about that," Magnus mumbled, when in fact Izzy had forgotten to mention that particular detail.  Not that he minded shopping - far from it - but the whole family going shopping together sounded like a recipe for disaster.  

Alec pursed his lips and said nothing but he looked about as thrilled as Magnus felt.  He'd hoped just to go sit down at the beach and read today. It was a vacation, after all.  Even if they were here to spend time with Izzy's family, Magnus didn't realize just how much time would be spent with the group.  

"So how does this work?  I don't imagine we all stay together, otherwise, everyone knows what they got everyone else."  If they were doing this, they were going to do it right. Besides, Magnus did need to buy gifts for the whole family and for Simon.  He loved the holidays and showering people he cared about with gifts and tokens of his affection. While he might not care about all of them yet, he hoped the younger generation would someday become more a part of his life.

If he never saw Izzy's parents again, it would be too soon.

"We'll break up when we get there," Jace explained through a mouthful of toast.  His wife hit him upside the head and he glared at her before continuing. "Groups of three, probably.  We will meet back up for lunch and then we'll decide how much more time we need. Then we come back here, deal with another uncomfortable dinner and, as soon as our parents go to bed, we raid the bar and go out to have a bonfire on the beach."

"If I get grouped with either of your parents, I'm going to need a drink before we go."  Only substantial amounts of alcohol would get him through that particular hell.

Clary raised a brow, "It's nine in the morning."

Unperturbed, Magnus shrugged, "It's happy hour somewhere, my dear."  He thought he saw Alec smirk at his comment but it was gone before he had a chance to see it properly.  Silently vowing to make Alec smile more, Magnus winked at him before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Don't worry, Magnus.  Mom and Dad never go shopping in the groups with us.  They'll take Max and do their thing. Usually, it's Alec and me and then Clary and Jace.  So, Simon, you go with those two and Magnus, you can come with us. Then everyone is with people they like."  Magnus recognized the glint in Izzy's eyes. It was the one she got after having a particularly brilliant idea.  The same one he saw before getting him to agree to this little escapade in the first place.

"Iz, no.  I'll just go shop on my own.  I don't want to intrude on your time together."  There was something off in Alec's voice and Magnus glanced at him but the man in question looked everywhere but at Magnus.  Maybe he just didn't want to spend time with him. Magnus could understand that. He could be a lot to deal with and Alec didn't seem like a man who was willing to put up with all the drama that came with having Magnus in his life.

Magnus hoped he was wrong but he doubted it.  

"You aren't getting out of this, Alec, so don't even try.  Magnus and I see each other plenty and I never see you. You're coming with me so we can gossip and get caught up.  And before you worry about it, Magnus would totally be okay with it, wouldn't you?" Izzy looked at him expectantly and he knew there was really only one answer he could give.  

Though he was going to have some fun with it.  He smiled, "Of course I want your darling brother along with us.  Give me a chance to get to know you better. I mean, we may have slept together but that doesn't mean I know a thing about you."  Rewarded with Alec choking on his coffee and glaring at him, Magnus smiled brighter, "I meant actually sleeping. Seriously, Alexander, what did you think I was saying?"

Alec grumbled under his breath and left the kitchen without another word.  "Too much?" Magnus asked Izzy who shook her head and patted him on the shoulder.

"I love my brother but repressed doesn't even begin to cover him.  He spent so long pretending to be straight and now he spends so much of his energy trying to blend in and not cause waves that I don't think he knows what it feels like to be flirted with anymore.  He'll be fine."

Magnus felt for the man.  He couldn't imagine what it must be like to have to hide even after you came out.  When he came out as bi, he stopped apologizing for it entirely. He was who he was and if people had a problem with that, then it was exactly that.  Their problem, not his. Nodding, he accepted what Izzy said and took her hand, realizing that talking about flirting with his girlfriend's brother might come off as strange to everyone else.  

However, none of them seemed fazed by it at all.  Clary rolled her eyes at him and he gave a small shrug.  "So, when does this shopping adventure begin?"

"Car rolls in a half hour.  It will probably be the only time other than meals that we see my parents today so it will be a pretty good day overall."

Magnus had to agree that any day without Robert Lightwood would be a fantastic one indeed.  

Soon enough they all piled into the town car, the kids all squished as far back as they could go while Robert bellowed directions at the poor driver who probably knew better than anyone how to get where they were going.  Alec sat on one side of Magnus, fidgeting nervously while staring out the window and it was all he could do not the take the man's hands in his, just to give him something else to focus on. Izzy and Jace talked about the new club that opened in Brooklyn and Magnus interjected on occasion, whenever Izzy messed up and made a comment about going there with her boyfriend.

The fact that no one other than Clary had caught on yet was a miracle.  Magnus didn't know how they were pulling this off.

Arriving at the shopping center, which seemed more boutiques than a mall, Alec jumped out of the car almost immediately and the rest of them followed suit.  No one questioned the plan with Maryse, Robert and Max taking off the moment they were all out and the kids just watching them go. "Pleasure seeing you as well," Magnus muttered and everyone laughed, even Alec which seemed to be the biggest miracle of them all.  "Are they always so friendly and cheerful?"

They all agreed to meet up together before going to lunch, that way no trio got stuck with the parents on their own.  Then they went their separate ways and Magnus smiled at his two companions. "And then there were three. So, tell me Lightwoods, how do you normally do this?"

Much to his surprise, it was Alec who answered.  "Izzy has a list of places that she likes to go so basically follow her around unless there is something that really interests you.  If she needs to buy something for one of us, she'll send us away and then come back for us when she's done. As much as I complain, it's fairly painless.  I used to have to go shopping with Jace and that was a hundred times worse."

Izzy laughed and took Magnus' arm.  "You have no idea, Magnus. Jace will spend more time trying things on for himself and then rush around for the last twenty minutes buying everything he should have been getting the whole time.  Don't be surprised if Clary and Simon get back and look exhausted. Or, more likely knowing Clary, they show up without him and he comes running up at the last second."

“Yes, this does sound preferable.  So, what happens if we want to buy something for you?”  Because it only seemed right.

Izzy and Alec looked completely baffled for a moment until Izzy chuckled, “We’ve never actually dealt with that before.  Alec usually lets me pick out my own gift so I don’t know. I guess you can just send one or both of us away.”

“Or,” Magnus grinned, “I can take your dear brother and we can make sure he gets you something lovely that will actually be a surprise for you.”  Izzy looked delighted but Alec’s look could only be classified as terrified. “Darling, I know you can do this. It will be good for you.”

“I can pick out gifts just fine.  My sister is just a little picky, that’s all.”

Magnus patted his shoulder, “We call that having good taste.  Don’t worry. I’m happy to help you out.”

Alec didn’t look convinced but wasn’t able to argue as Izzy took off and the two of them hurried to keep up.  It turned out that Izzy was as efficient with her shopping as she was in the lab. Though she didn’t have a list written down, she seemed to know where she was going and what she was getting from each place.  Gifts from her and gifts from Alec for every person in the family. Somehow, she even had an idea for Simon after only knowing him for one day.

Reaching one store, Izzy spun on her heels to look at them.  “Alec, take Magnus somewhere else. I’m going to get him our gifts so you need to keep him busy.”

Magnus fully expected Alec to agree readily but instead, he shook his head, “I know what I’m getting Magnus.  Can we just meet back here in fifteen minutes? That will give Magnus some peace and quiet as well. I’m sure he’s tired of us already.”

“I’m not sure I could ever get tired of you,” Magnus admitted, smiling softly at Alec before remembering who he was supposed to be and why he was there in the first place.  Shaking his head, he smiled, “Alright, fifteen minutes and I’ll meet you both back right here.” That would be more than enough time to get what he wanted for Alec and Izzy.  He already had ideas for them both.

Isabelle was easy.  He’d seen the necklace he wanted back at a vintage boutique a few minutes prior.  Since he already knew he’d be returning there, he’d searched the shelves for something that might appeal to Alec as well.  It turned out they had the perfect thing, or at least Magnus thought so. Time would tell if Alec liked it.

It only took him five minutes to go purchase the two items and he was back before either of the siblings.  He expected Alec would be back next but it was Izzy, who apparently got what she wanted, considering the grin on her face.  She sat next to him on the bench while they waited for Alec. “So, Alec?” she asked, her grin almost manic. “I approve, in case you were wondering.”

“Approve of what?”  Magnus knew what she was getting at but he wasn’t going to give her any ammunition against him.  He loved her like a sister and he knew just how devious sisters could be. “I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You like Alec.  It’s okay, Magnus.  You and I both know there is nothing going on between us.  In fact, I would love it if you and my brother got together.  It would be good for the both of you.” She was grinning like she won the lottery and Magnus had never felt more unnerved.  Even if it was fake, it still felt weird for his supposed girlfriend to be trying to set him up with her brother.

He sighed and looked around to make sure Alec wasn’t close by.  “Even if that was true, there are two problems with your plan. One, your brother tends to run away whenever we are near each other.  The only time we’ve sat next to one another was when he had no other choice; at dinner, in the car, and in bed. Two, he thinks I’m dating you.  You are his favorite person in the world, even I can see that. He would never do anything to hurt you, even if he did like me.” And both of those reasons hurt but there was nothing he could do about it so Magnus vowed to not worry about the things he couldn’t change so much.

“You don’t know my brother like I do.  He likes you, Magnus. Probably more than he thinks he should and he’s probably running away from you because he is the most awkward person I know.  Give him a chance.” It took a moment before the rest of Magnus’ words caught up with her and Izzy’s face dropped. “Oh, right. That’s probably why he doesn’t think he should like you.”

If Izzy was right and her brother did like him, then Magnus wanted a chance to explore that.  He’d been alone for far too long and something about Alec and his sullen demeanor and soft smiles drew Magnus in.  “Can we tell him? I’m sure he can keep a secret. Anyone who was in the closet knows how to do that.”

To her credit, Izzy considered it before shaking her head.  “I’ll tell him when the weekend is over, okay? But as much as I love him, Alec can’t lie.  At all. It is so painfully obvious when he isn’t telling the truth that people would know immediately.  So, can you hold out for one more day? Please?”

He didn’t want to.  Magnus wanted to find Alec right now and tell him the truth but this weekend he was here for Izzy and that was all there was to it.  “I can wait. But please tell him as soon as we are away from your parents because I really like him. And I would like that chance, but the longer he goes thinking I’m your boyfriend, the harder it’s going to be for him to accept that we’re not dating and have been lying to him all weekend.”

“Who are you lying to this weekend?” Alec asked, sitting down next to Izzy and looking at them both carefully.  Magnus’ eyes went wide as he tried to determine if Alec heart anything more than that.

Izzy, however, was quicker on her feet and grinned, “Oh, Jace.  I mean, have you seen his new haircut? It looks okay, I guess, but he’s acting like he’s a supermodel or something.”

Laughing, Alec shrugged, “I hadn’t noticed but it’s Jace and I’ve given up trying to keep up with his changes in style.  Remember the goth phase?”

“How could I forget?”  Soon all three of them were laughing, even Magnus who hadn’t been around for any phases.  He marveled at Izzy’s ability to distract her brother, even if it was distracting him away from something that could have worked in Magnus’ own favor.  “So, are you done, big brother? It’s about time we went to meet everyone for lunch."

The meal proved to be non-eventful and it was decided that since almost everyone was done shopping, they’d leave in an hour.  It gave Magnus and Alec just enough time to go get Izzy’s present from her brother.

To be honest, Magnus looked forward to this all day.  It would be the first time where he got to spend time with Alec away from everyone else where they weren’t sleeping.  “So do you know what I should get her?” Alec asked as soon as they were away from the group. “I used to give her books and then she started buying her presents from me herself so I guess books weren’t the best choice.”

“From what I know about your sister, she loves books.  But I also wonder if you were giving her the types of books she wanted?  Books can be very personal, can reflect the giver as much as the receiver.”  It didn’t escape his notice that his gift to Alec was a book but he hoped Alec would forget this conversation before they opened gifts the next day because Magnus didn’t want to think about what his gift said about him and the feelings he might have for Alec.  “I have something in mind that I think your sister will love. I saw it a couple shops back. Come on.”

Smiling to himself when Alec fell into step almost immediately, they walked in companionable silence until they reached a jewelry store that specializes in unique and antique jewelry.  “Jewels? I’m not sure that is the kind of thing my sister wants from me. It’s more something for you to give her.”

“Trust me, darling, I already have one for her.  No need to worry yourself about that. Besides, I wasn’t actually thinking a jewel for her.”  Past the cases of glittering diamonds and shining emeralds, Magnus pointed to a less flashy display, with something he believed to be perfect for Isabelle.  “You do know what her research is on, don’t you?”

Alec stared at the bracelet, tracing it with his finger.  “Biochemistry of snake venom or something like that. I can’t remember the exact title of it but she picked it because we went to Arizona one summer in high school and Jace got bit by a snake.  He thought he was dying because _obviously_ , it was a rattlesnake.  Izzy spent the whole drive to the hospital looking up the effects of snake venom on the body.  Jace was practically inconsolable when we arrived only for it to have been a non-venomous snake.  He’s been scared of them ever since and Izzy’s been fascinated. It didn’t surprise me when she picked the topic for her research.  It was what got her into biochemistry in the first place, after all.”

Everyone had a story how they ended up in their chosen field.  Sometimes it was as simple as “this was what I am good at” or “this is what will make the most money”.  But sometimes, there was a story so perfect and amazing that it deserved to be shared for the rest of time.  In Magnus’ opinion, this was one of those stories. “I’d never heard that before,” he said, biting his lip to stop from laughing too hard and ruining his makeup.  “Now you have to get this bracelet for her, Alexander.”

Alec picked the bracelet up and nodded, though a curious look came over his face as he stared at Magnus.  

“What? Is my mascara running?” Magnus asked, looking in one of the ubiquitous mirrors in the shop.  He looked fine so he had no idea why Alec would look at him like that.

He gave a small smile, “No one calls me that.  Only my parents when they are upset with me, so I usually tell people to call me Alec.  But, I kind of like it when you say it. It sounds like something important, not a curse like it does coming from my father’s mouth.”

“Darling, I think it is safe to say that you shouldn’t listen to anything that comes from your father’s mouth.  I’ve known him less than a day and that much is clear to me. If he can’t see how remarkable you are, he doesn’t deserve you.”

Alec didn’t say anything, just smiled and went to pay for the bracelet.  On the way out of the store, Alec sighed, “Thanks for helping me. I would never have thought of this but it’s perfect.  I think I’ve finally found a present my sister will like. She’s lucky to have you.”

His words, so simple and yet tinted with so much emotion had Magnus’ heartbreaking and he could only hum in reply, afraid that if he opened his mouth to speak, he would confess everything - the lie about their relationship, his desire for Alec - everything.  Alec was going to kill him without even knowing it.

Desperate to change the subject, Magnus asked him, “How did you get into your field?  I’ll confess, I’m not even sure what it is but the way you spoke about it at dinner, it sounds like you love your career very much.”

“I do,” Alec shrugged.  “It’s not what I was supposed to do.  My parents wanted me to be a lawyer. I went to school for it and everything.  I hated every minute of it. But that was what my parents raised me to be, groomed me for, so it was the only thing I knew.  But as I was reading all these cases and terms, I kept coming across Latin. And it was fascinating. I wanted to know more. So I took a class.  And then I took another. It turned out I was pretty good at it so the professor suggested I try an introduction to ancient languages course and I was hooked.”

Watching Alec talk about something he was passionate about was breathtaking and Magnus couldn’t look away.  He wanted to know everything, even if it was a subject where his only knowledge were the scientific terms he encountered in his own work.

“By the time I graduated, I had a double major in Political Science Pre-Law and Ancient Languages.  I was supposed to go right on to law school but after I came out and learned what a disappointment I am to my parents, I realized that the things I was supposed to do weren’t what I wanted.  So I got accepted to a doctoral program in London and went there for three years before coming back to teach here at Columbia. My parents have never forgiven me, though whether they are more disappointed in my sexuality or my career, I’m not sure.”

Magnus hated them, hated that they ever made Alec doubt himself.  “You did what was right for yourself, Alexander. Would you have been happy as a lawyer?  Would you have been as happy as you are now as a professor?”

“No,” Alec answered immediately.  “I would have been miserable. They already knew which woman I should marry and what firm I should work for.  My parents had my whole life planned without once asking me what I wanted.”

While Magnus wanted to hear more, he understood when Alec snapped his mouth shut and stared straight ahead where the rest of the family waited.

“It’s about time,” Robert grumbled.

Seeing the way Alec’s face dropped, Magnus couldn’t stand it.  “What is your problem? We are back here fifteen minutes _before_ the appointed time.  You are just grasping for reasons to be unhappy, aren’t you?  It is not your job to make everyone around you miserable so maybe the next time you have some snide comment, keep it to yourself because the rest of us don’t want to hear it.”

The whole group stared at Magnus in shock and he remembered a moment too late where he was and that he’d just told off the patriarch of the family in front of them all.  “Isabelle, this is the worst one you’ve ever brought home. Rude and doesn’t know his place.”

Magnus shrugged, unapologetic and walked around Robert to go to the car.  He wouldn’t apologize for saying the truth and if they didn’t want him around for the rest of the weekend, that was fine.  He’d sit on the beach or ask Alec if he could use the library. The only concern was if he’d made things too difficult for Izzy.

His worries were for nothing when the Izzy and her siblings hurried to catch up with him.  “That was amazing, Magnus. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my dad at a loss for words before. No one has ever dared stand up to him.  At least not for long.” Izzy grinned at him, lacing her arm through his. The rest of her siblings and their friends and partners smiled as well so he breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t completely ruined things.

“Drive home’s going to be awkward though.”  Magnus glanced at Alec. Despite his muttered warning, there was a smile tugging at his lips and Magnus felt he’d done something right.  

As Alec predicted the ride back to the estate was long and painful with Robert giving Magnus looks that might kill if there was any power behind them.  

Once at the house, everyone went their separate ways, Izzy handing out wrapping paper as they went so everyone could get their packages wrapped and under the tree before dinner.  Magnus went to Alec’s room, expecting the other man to follow but was disappointed when he didn’t show up. He thought they’d made some kind of breakthrough while shopping but it seemed Alec was back to ignoring him all the same.  

With a heavy sigh, Magnus wrapped all his gifts, confident he’d done well for everyone in the family, their parents excluded.  They were getting a nice bottle of wine and would be lucky if Magnus didn’t bash them over the head with it before Christmas dinner was over.  

Dinner was, remarkably calm particularly compared to the eventful one the night before.  Robert ate, sullen and glaring, in silence and everyone else followed suit. It was uncomfortable but better than the derogatory remarks he liked to throw at everyone the rest of the time.  The only thing that Magnus remotely liked about the meal - besides the food which was delicious - was the fact that Izzy arranged it for him to be sitting between herself and Alec once more.  The tension he felt crackling between himself and Alec couldn’t have been all in his head. Though, maybe Alec sat stiff as a board through the whole meal because of his father.

The moment dinner was over, Maryse and Robert retired to the master suite.  Maryse gave them all a wink as she left and Magnus wondered if she wasn’t just stuck between a rock and a hard place, needing to support her husband but wishing her kids had an easier time of it.  He appreciated the effort, even if it would have been better for everyone involved if she just kicked Robert's ass to the curb.

Alec started to disappear down the hallway as well but Izzy caught his arm.  “Oh no, you don’t, Alec. It’s tradition and just because you enjoy being boring and antisocial doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t want to see you.”  

This was what Magnus had been looking forward to.  When Izzy told him about the bonfire on the beach, he couldn’t wait and was honestly disappointed it didn’t happen the night before.  Though, considering all the tension that night, no one would have had much fun.

Tonight was better.  Tonight, everyone needed to blow off some steam and relax.  Magnus wanted to get to know Jace and Clary and Simon better and spend time with both Isabelle and Alexander.  

“I’ll get the alcohol,” Jace was saying.  “Izzy, you get the cups and everyone else get as many blankets as you can carry.  It’s going to be cold, even with the fire.”

With everyone having their assignments, they all scattered, grabbing what they could.  Since Alec was already taking care of the blankets from their shared bedroom, Magnus followed Jace to help with the bottles.  “I figured four hands are better than two for this particular job,” he laughed to which Jace nodded eagerly.

“Seriously.  Just so you know, we’re not alcoholics or anything.  Our parents bring this out in us. Mainly Robert, but Maryse isn’t very helpful either. So, we come up here and get completely wasted one night, just to forget about all the other pain we need to go through.  We’ll all be hungover opening presents tomorrow. They’ll pretend they don’t notice and another Christmas will be behind us.” As he talked, Jace handed over bottle after bottle until both their arms are full.

“If we drink all this, we won’t be alive to open Christmas presents tomorrow.”  Magnus could appreciate a good drink as much as the next person but this was a lot of alcohol for six people.

Jace shrugged, “Just trying to give everyone options.  Anything that doesn’t disappear, we can put back in the bar tomorrow and all pretend we have no idea why there is so much less.”

Following Jace out to the beach, Magnus didn’t expect to hear anything else from him but before they got to the rest of the group, Jace stopped and looked at him closely.  “You aren’t dating Izzy. I’ve seen my sister with her boyfriends before and she doesn’t act with them the way she acts with you.”

“Maybe she finally found someone who treats her the way she deserves?” Magnus countered though he hoped Jace wouldn’t rise to the bait.  If Jace could figure it out, then maybe Alec could too. But he wouldn’t come right out and say it unless Jace proved him wrong.

Jace, thankfully, smiled and shook his head.  “As much as I would like for that to be true, it isn’t.  You and she are good friends. Maybe even best friends. God knows Izzy needs someone like you in her life.  But, you aren’t dating. There must be a reason for this so I’ll let it go but if she gets hurt, I’m holding you responsible.”

It was one of the things Magnus loved most about these siblings, they cared deeply for one another.  He knew that after only one day (though the way Izzy talked about them all the time before this aided his conclusion as well) and he knew they would follow through on anything they promised or threatened.  “I won’t hurt your sister. This was her decision, I’m just along for the ride.”

Nodding, Jace turned back to the group, “Good. I like you.  If you ever want to date Izzy, you have my blessing.”

“Thanks but no thanks.  She isn’t the Lightwood that I have my eyes on.”

“Alec?”  The surprise in Jace’s voice was almost an insult but whether it was to Magnus or Alec, he didn’t know.  Lips pursed, Jace was silent for a moment before he nodded, “I could see it. I give my blessing to that as well.”

“I appreciate it, even if I don’t need your blessing,” Magnus laughed and the two of them were still chuckling when they approached the rest of the group.  Several logs surrounded a burnt out pit in the sand and it was clear that they used this place often, probably every time they came up to this house. Alec and Izzy were trying to start the fire while Clary supervised and Simon sort of danced around between everyone.  

Magnus set the bottles down next to Jace and grabbed a glass to pour his own drink while watching them get the fire lit.  It didn’t take long before the flames flickered around the wood and the chill in the air decreased noticeably.

Sitting there on the beach - alcohol in hand, waves lapping at the shore, and friends laughing next to him - Magnus relaxed for perhaps the first time since they arrived.  Two people in the group already knew his big secret (three, if he counted Izzy) and they weren’t upset. Surely Alec wouldn’t be angry either when he found out. He comforted himself with that thought as he poured another glass.  

“I’m freezing,” Clary muttered, standing up from where she was sitting and moving to sit next to Simon.  He wrapped a blanket around her and pulled her close. It was cute, seeing how close they were. Like siblings that didn’t share blood.  Magnus envied that relationship. Back home he had Ragnor and Cat and Raphael but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t like that.

Maybe someday he could have that with Izzy.  Right now, he didn’t want to risk looking anymore couple-like than they had to.  Which seemed to suit Izzy just as well.

Glancing over at his wife and her best friend, Jace let out an indignant “Hey!  I’m cold too, you know!” Clary just stuck out her tongue at him and snuggled closer Simon, totally ignoring her husband.  “But, I’m cold!” Jace continued to complain until Izzy got up and went to sit next to him.

“There are you happy now?” she asked and he begrudgingly nodded.  

Seeing the two pairs cuddled up for warmth, blankets wrapped around them and looking so comfortable, a pang of jealousy shot through Magnus’ chest through he did his best to ignore it.  There was only one person left with whom he could cuddle up and Magnus didn’t know if he would be welcome or not should he try.

An icy breeze blew through their little encampment and Magnus’ decision was made.  They’d shared a bed. Surely they could share a blanket. Otherwise, he’d freeze to death before they ever got back to the house.  “And then there were two,” he muttered, shifting until he was sitting right next to Alec. “Normally, I’m very warm. But sitting outside in December isn’t a normal occurrence for me.  So, hope you don’t mind but I’m stealing some body heat.

Next to him, Alec tensed as Magnus wrapped a blanket around both their shoulders.  He did feel a little bad making the other man so uncomfortable but with everyone else taken, Alec was his only option aside from going back into the house.  And being the only person in the house with Maryse and Robert besides the child wasn’t an option at all.

After a while, they both relaxed and Magnus rested his head on Alec’s shoulder, ignoring the pointed looks he was getting from everyone but Simon.  Simon looked like he’d won the lottery and Magnus couldn’t figure out why. Until he realized that if the two ‘couples’ were cuddling, Simon would be the one curled up with Alec.  That wouldn’t have ended well for anyone.

Yawning, Magnus let his eyes close and just enjoyed the peace of the moment.  Alec’s scent relaxed him to the point that the idea of sleeping next to this warm man didn’t upset him anymore.  He looked forward to it. Even if they didn’t touch, or talk, or interact in any way, that bed smelled like Alec and his soft snores made it so Magnus knew he was there even if he couldn’t feel him.  

“We should get you to bed.”  Alec’s voice interrupted his rest and Magnus realized he must have drifted off.  He opened his eyes to see who Alec was talking to but those warm hazel eyes were directed down at him.  

He smiled, trying to ignore the heat that came to his cheeks in response to such a warm and open look from the man he desired.  “Trust me, darling, if you wanted to get me in bed, all you have to do is ask.” Alec choked a little at the obvious flirtation and the rest of the group laughed, Simon uncomfortably and the rest because they knew something Alec didn’t.  Realizing that his crush was probably evident to everyone but Alec, Magnus sighed and rose to his feet., “I think you’re right. Off to bed for me. Thank you for a lovely evening and I’ll see you in the morning.”

Looking forward to a few moments without Alec around so he could settle his thoughts and calm the desire that raced through him, Magnus was simultaneously elated and disappointed when Alec stood and said, “Same.  Good night everyone.”

The two of them walked back, blankets in hand, not saying a word.  Magnus didn’t know what to say and Alec seemed lost in through so he left him alone for the time being.  The two men undressed in silence, changing into their pajamas without looking at one another. Magnus couldn’t tell if he’d imagined the tension between them or it was really there but something had shifted in his own mind and he needed time to figure it out.  Time he didn’t really have.

By the time he returned from the bathroom having removed his makeup and brushed his teeth, Alec was already in bed, turned away from the center with only the small lamp on Magnus’ side still illuminated.  

He climbed in, facing away from Alec and turning off the light.  The darkness settled over them like a blanket and Magnus wanted nothing more than to go sleep on the couch.  This was a catastrophe in the making, like watching a natural disaster but completely unable to stop it. “Good night, Alexander,” he whispered into the dark.  

“Good night, Magnus,” Alec replied before slumber took them both.

Magnus woke the next morning slowly, warm and safe.  A weight pushed down upon him and something solid yet soft lay in his arms.  Eyes fluttering open, Magnus was both surprised and not to see Alec in his arms.  The man’s head was pillowed on Magnus’ bare chest and Magnus’ arms were wrapped around him, holding him close.  Their legs were tangled together and before he gave himself permission to feel the embarrassment that was sure to come, he enjoyed this feeling of closeness with someone he was growing to care for.  

He combed his hand through Alec’s hair, mesmerized by the way it caught the early morning light and how soft it felt against his fingertips.  This was what Magnus wanted. He wanted this every day, for the rest of his life and even that wouldn’t be enough.

Alec started to shift underneath him, wakefulness returning far slower than Magnus’ did.  “Good morning,” he mumbled, voice rough with sleep. Alec made no attempt to move away, even tightening the arm around Magnus’ waist.  His heart beat double time in his chest, thudding so loud Alec had to hear it. Any moment now, Alec would realize where they were, who Magnus was, and why they couldn’t be doing this.  And Magnus’ heart would break a little when it happened.

He had a hundred excuses and apologies on the tip of his tongue, waiting for Alec to jump back from him.  Which he did, but not for the reason Magnus expected.

“ALEC!  IT’S CHRISTMAS!” Max yelled, barreling into the room and pulling his brother from sleep almost instantly.  

Alec rolled over, eyes wide and terrified, looking at his brother to see if he’d noticed anything was amiss.

“Come on!  We can open presents once everyone is there.”  And with that, he was gone again, probably to wake some other part of the house. 

But the damage was done.  “Alec, I...”

“Save it,” he mumbled, getting out of bed.  “Let’s just... That never happened. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight.”  Like his brother, Alec was gone a moment later, leaving Magnus in the shattered peace of the moment and wondering if Alec would ever forgive him.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My way of dealing with canon that I have trouble accepting? Retreat to AU land where everything is great. Or mostly great. Or at least not going completely to hell, literally and figuratively.


	3. Day 3

With heavy limbs, Magnus pulled himself from the bed, resigned to having ruined the best thing that might have happened to him in his whole life.  If it wasn’t for the fact that he still wanted to play the part for Isabelle’s sake - and to annoy Robert - Magnus would have gone out to meet the family with bed hair and no makeup.   However, impressions were lasting, so he took ten minutes to make himself look good enough to piss off the eldest Lightwood.

By the time he got there, everyone but Simon had joined the family.  “He sleeps like the dead,” Clary explained, giving Magnus a small smile when he sat down.  “Good luck waking him up after last night. He can have his presents later. It’s not like he actually celebrates the holiday.”  Several people raised brows and Clary shrugged, “He’s Jewish. You’re getting Hanukkah gifts from him.”

Magnus looked over at Izzy who seemed as surprised as he was.  Simon never said anything but he supposed they hadn’t spent a lot of time together either.  But considering that one of the reasons Izzy gave for not bringing Meliorn along was that he didn’t celebrate Christmas, it caught them both off guard.  

“Well, now that everyone is here, Max, would you like to hand out the gifts?”  Magnus had to give Maryse credit, she was definitely trying. The tension was palpable in the room but she put on a smile and tried to get them through it.  Magnus didn’t know if everyone could tell it was between him and Alec, or if something happened before he got out there. But whatever it was, it was making Magnus physically ill.  

Thankfully, Max seemed unaffected and ran back and forth from the tree to each gift’s recipient and back again until each person had a small pile of presents in front of them.  Even though Izzy told him he’d get gifts from everyone, Magnus didn’t really believe it until now. Despite how many times he felt he’d messed up this weekend, they were still giving him Christmas presents.  It didn’t seem possible and he discreetly wiped his eyes to try and hide the tears that threatened to fall.

One by one, they went around the room and opened their gifts.  Maryse and Robert actually gave him a jewelry box which he hadn’t expected.  Obviously, Maryse was behind it considering the way Robert glared when he thanked them but it was still a kind gesture.  His old one at home was starting to get full so this was perfect.

He watched everyone else opening their gifts.  Maryse thanked him for the wine saying it was one of her favorite varieties.  “Don’t be fooled by him, Maryse,” Robert snarled. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how low some of the bottles in the bar were this morning.  This is probably him trying to cover his tracks.”

“And what were you doing getting in the bar at nine in the morning, Robert?  Seems a little early for happy hour, don’t you think?” Magnus raised a brow, challenging Robert to make another comment but he thankfully kept his mouth shut.  He had been known to enjoy a cocktail or two, even at hours others wouldn’t necessarily approve of, but Magnus was not going to let anyone make him feel bad about that.  They were his choices and people could judge him if they wanted, but he wouldn’t apologize for them.

There was only one choice he’d made lately that he felt the need to apologize for and the person he owed the apology too wasn’t looking at him.  Awkward, yes, but at least they were in the same room and Alec hadn’t run away from him. He considered that to be progress.

“Magnus, open my gift,” Izzy grinned, shoving a box in his direction.  As he would expect from Izzy, it was immaculately wrapped and picture perfect.  Slowly, he started to unwrap the gift, taking his time partly because it was so beautiful and partly because he could see Jace getting anxious for him to just be done already.

Magnus laughed when Jace finally snapped and yelled, “Just rip it!”  He did just that, tearing open the paper and then bursting into laughter when he saw what was inside.  This certainly wouldn’t endear him to Robert but at this point, nothing would so he might as well enjoy it.

“You know me so well, Isabelle,” he grinned, showing the box to everyone else.  Inside was a cocktail set with a shaker and shot glasses all made to look like laboratory glassware.  “We will have to have a lab party when we get back. I bet we can come up with some cocktails that would look fabulous in these.  Give them great scientific names and watch as they become more and more difficult to pronounce as the night goes on.” The two of them laughed, while the rest of the family looked on, obviously not as amused by their joke as Izzy and Magnus were.  

Reaching over, Magnus grabbed the small box that was his gift to her.  “Here you go, my dear. This one is from me.”

Izzy eagerly tore the package open, finding a necklace inside.  An antique from that shop back in the mall, Magnus realized how perfect it was for her the moment he laid eyes on it. The large red stone was the perfect color with Izzy’s complexion and he could already think of several of her outfits it would coordinate with wonderfully.  “Oh my god, Magnus! Thank you!” Izzy threw herself at him and he smiled as she hugged him tightly. “It’s beautiful! I can’t believe you did that for me.”

“It was nothing.  Just enjoy it, okay?”  His eyes drifted to Alec whose blush colored his cheeks while he looked anywhere but at Magnus and Izzy.  Realizing how this looked, Magnus sighed, wishing there was some way he could stop hurting Alec. He was ruining the man’s holiday with his family (though, Robert deserved some of the blame for that) and he couldn’t seem to stop.  As soon as he was back in Brooklyn, Magnus vowed to send Alec the biggest bouquet of flowers he could find along with a note detailing all the ways in which he was sorry.

It would probably be three pages by the time the weekend was over.

Magnus thanked the universe that Izzy was a perceptive person.  Whether she felt him tense up or saw her brother’s miserable expression, Magnus didn’t know, but she let go of him almost immediately.  “Hey, big brother,” she grinned. “I want to see what you got me! Come on!”

Alec handed the package over.  It was meticulously wrapped if not the most aesthetically pleasing, but it fit Alec so well it hurt Magnus’ heart to think about it too much.  Knowing what was in the package, Magnus watched Alec instead, noting how nervous he looked. Alec’s eyes remained trained on his own hands and he fidgeted slightly while Izzy opened her present.  The gift was perfect for Izzy and she was going to love it but he could see the tension in Alec’s body while he waited for her to find out.

“Alec,” Izzy breathed, pulling the bracelet out of the box.  Magnus’ eyes were so trained on Alec that he barely noticed Jace flinching away from the silver snake as if it might come to life and hurt him.  “Did you seriously get this for me?”

Nodding, Alec gave her a small smile, his eyes wide and hopeful as Izzy slipped the bracelet on her wrist immediately.  “It’s okay? I can take it back if you’d rather pick something else out.”

He was rambling and everyone could see it.  Izzy took pity on him and leaned across to kiss his cheek.  “Thank you, Alec. I love it. I’m never returning it. This is the best gift you’ve ever given me.”

Magnus smiled at the siblings, happy that Alec’s gift had gone over so well.  The moment he saw it, he knew it would be perfect for Izzy.

“Yes, well, your boyfriend helped me pick it out.”  Magnus choked a little, not wanting recognition for either the gift or his role in Izzy’s life.  Izzy had the compassion enough to look embarrassed and Alec just looked pissed, as if he couldn’t believe he’d said those words and was angry at the universe for making them true.

If the tension before had been unpleasant, now it was almost unbearable and the three of them all stared at the floor while Jace and Clary attempted to draw the attention onto themselves, obviously realizing that all three of them needed a moment.  Jace, Clary, and Simon - who’d stumbled into the room, bleary-eyed, a few minutes before - exchanged gifts with one another and gave Simon a chance to open his own presents and get caught up with everyone else.

It seemed like no time at all before Magnus and Alec were the only ones with gifts left.  The ones from each other. “Alexander, please, you first.” He could only hope that Alec would like the gift that Magnus got him and that it wouldn’t upset him further.  That was the last thing that Magnus wanted to do.

Alec shot him a look full of trepidation and began to open the book.  Everyone saw the moment Alec realized what it was. His hand flew to cover his mouth and tears pooled in his eyes.  “This... this is too much,” he muttered, running his hands over the cover reverently. When their eyes met, Magnus couldn’t count the number of emotions that passed over Alec’s face before the only word he could use to describe Alec’s look was utter devastation.  “I can’t do this anymore.” Alec jumped to his feet and ran from the room, the book Magnus gave him still in hand, cradled against his chest.

They all stared at the space left by Alec for a moment before Simon broke the silence, “ _Dude_ , what was that book you gave him?”  

When everyone’s attention turned back to Magnus, he shrugged, “A first edition of Oscar Wilde’s _The Importance of Being Earnest_.  I thought he would like it.” And Magnus thought that maybe he did. But something about it made Alec storm from the room, which had definitely not been his intention.  “Should I go talk to him? I’m not sure what I did to upset him.”

Jace shook his head, “No, let me do it.  Not that I think you are going to try to upset him but I know my brother and talking to you at this moment is going to do more harm than good.”  He took off after Alec and left the rest in an awkward silence.

“At least Alec has some sense out of the lot of you,” Robert grumbled.  “Never thought I’d say that but even he can see that this man is bad news.”  

So far, everything Robert said rolled off Magnus’ shoulders like it was nothing.  He’d dealt with men like him his entire life. He would never be where he was today if he let their words affect him.  But now, he couldn’t help but think that maybe Robert was right. Maybe he was bad news and the whole family would be better off without him there.  “If you’ll excuse me.” Standing, Magnus slipped the small gift from Alec into his pocket and strode from the room with his shoulders back and his head held high.  He would never let Robert know just how much his words affected him. The man would never have that satisfaction.

Magnus didn’t look back, just left the house and went out to the beach.  He needed to get away and when he was a child, the ocean had been a constant companion.  Waves crashing on the shore, seabirds flying overhead; it was comforting in a way few things were, particularly in a house where he could hardly breathe anymore.

Only when he was sitting by the firepit did Magnus remember he was dressed only in his pajamas - though he’d had the sense to put on a shirt before going to open gifts - and while they were comfortable for sleeping, sitting in them on a beach in December in New England was not particularly nice.  Miserable would be a good way to describe it.

Just as he was getting ready to suck up his pride and go back inside, a warm blanket wrapped around his shoulders and Clary dropped down beside him.  “Alec likes you,” she said without preamble. “I know it probably doesn’t feel like it right now, but he does. But more than anything in the world, Alec loves his family.  So right now, his head and his heart are warring because he wants to be with you but he would never do anything to hurt Izzy.”

“And you know this?” Magnus asked, staring out at the water.  “He told you?”

“He doesn’t have to.  I’ve known him for years now and I can read him like a book.  You might not have noticed but everything he feels is broadcast all over his face.”  

Magnus knew this.  Anyone who spent even five minutes with Alec knew this.  Even when his face was passive, he had the most expressive eyes Magnus had ever seen.  “Either way, I’m stuck here where I can’t tell him the truth but I can’t hide what I feel either.  Izzy will tell you, I’ve had the worst luck with romance. I’d actually sworn off dating when she came up with this scheme.  But then I met Alexander and he made me want that again. I want someone I can curl up with, take out to dinner, love with all my heart.  But more than that, I want it with Alec.”

He finally risked a glance at Clary and saw her sympathy for him in her eyes.  “Then you need to talk to Izzy and work this out. She’s pretty upset right now.  Simon’s with her, keeping her company. I don’t think she expected this scenario when she suggested you pretend to be her boyfriend.  I told you these things always blow up in people’s faces.”

“And I told her, but I thought it would be fallout from everyone finding out that we aren’t dating, not fallout because we are.”  He knew better. He knew better and he still went along with this. This was his own fault and he had no one else to blame for it.

“Talk to Izzy.  And then talk to Alec.  And maybe get this all worked out before dinner because otherwise, this is going to be the worst family dinner the Lightwoods have ever had.  And trust me, that’s saying something.”

Magnus smiled at this tiny yet fierce redhead who obviously loves her family deeply, even with how crazy the whole group seems to be.  “Thanks, Biscuit. I just hope I haven’t lost him forever. I barely know him but I want to know more and I don’t want this to be the end before it gets started.”

She took his hand, squeezing it lightly, “It won’t be.  He might be annoyed but he’ll get over it quickly. He wants you more than he wants to be upset.  I can guarantee that.” She sounded so certain that hope began to bloom in his chest once more. They could work this out and Alec wouldn’t be mad at him, at least not for long.

Magnus could only hope that was true.

They sat like that for several minutes before Magnus sighed and stood, helping Clary to her feet as well.  “No time like the present, right? Might as well go get this over with. Like you said, if we don’t clear it up now, dinner will be awful.”

“And dinner is really at lunchtime because, well, I don’t know.  I’ve never exactly figured that out. But yeah, you have a few hours but nothing more than that.”

Crap.  Magnus thought he had all day to build up his courage.  “Fine, let’s go. I need to do this already before I chicken out.”

When they got back to the house, Clary went to find Jace while Magnus went to find Izzy.  While he wanted to talk to Alec, he knew Izzy needed to be his first stop. Magnus understood her reasons for not telling her brother what was going on between the two of them but at this point, keeping it from him was causing more harm than good.  Searching the house, he couldn’t find her anywhere. Jace and Alec were suspiciously absent as well and when he stumbled upon both Clary and Simon lounging in the living room, Magnus collapsed onto the couch with a heavy sigh.

“So, it appears they left us?”  It was obvious they had but it worked to start the conversation.

Clary nodded, “Yeah, I got a text from Jace.  Something about sibling bonding and they would see us at dinner.”

Magnus didn’t know if that was better or worse.  At least Alec’s siblings would know how to cheer him up but Magnus desperately wanted to speak to Izzy and now probably wouldn’t have a chance until after the awkward family meal from hell.  He sighed dramatically and closed his eyes.

Simon kicked his ankle and laughed, “So you and Alec?”  

“What about me and Alec?”  Magnus was not in the mood for any riddles or mocking or snide comments.  What was normally his favorite holiday was quickly becoming a disaster.

Actually, they’d probably gone past disaster by now and were well on their way to catastrophe.

Simon held his hands up in surrender, shaking his head.  “I don’t mean anything by it. You would be cute. And Izzy told me about the deal you guys made so I don’t feel like I’m encouraging you to cheat on your girlfriend or anything.”

“Thanks, Simon.  I really wish Izzy had told Alec though, not you.  Not that there's anything wrong with you but I have no interest in sleeping next to you tonight in as minimal clothing as possible.”  Simon spluttered and Clary laughed, but both of them blushed. Magnus just shrugged, unapologetic. He wanted what he wanted, and what he wanted was Alec.  

Realizing that the siblings probably were telling the truth when Jace said they wouldn’t be back until dinner, Magnus decided to at least be productive.  He excused himself, going to take a shower and get ready for dinner. His makeup had always been a source of escape for him and he lost himself while meticulously applying eyeliner and lip gloss.  Understated, at least more so than the day before, but it fit his mood.

Slipping the gift from Alec into his pocket, still unopened, Magnus hoped he would be able to open it later in the presence of the gift giver.

Before he knew it, Clary knocked on the door of the bedroom to let him know dinner would start in five minutes.  Magnus tried to tamp down the disappointment that Alec hadn’t come in there after he returned, or that Isabelle hadn’t come by to tell him the whole thing was off. But he knew what he signed up for, so he adjusted his clothes, rolled his shoulders back and walked out with his head held high.

Everyone was still standing around when he got out there and Izzy came right over to him.  “Are you okay? I’m sorry I left. My brothers needed me and I figured you’d be alright.”

Magnus wouldn’t do anything to come between her and her brothers, so he understood.  It would have been nice if she’d at least talked to him but that would have to wait until after dinner.  “It’s fine. I went to the beach for awhile and then spent over an hour doing my makeup. It could be worse.  But after dinner, I want to talk to you.”

She nodded and probably would have said more if they weren’t called to the table.  Izzy, Magnus, and Simon were on one side of the table while Jace, Clary, Max, and Alec were on the other.  Magnus noticed he and Alec were about as far from one another as they could get and he wondered if that was Alec’s doing or just coincidence.  Probably Alec’s doing but Magnus couldn’t fault him for that. Magnus hurt him, somehow, and would need to make things better once he spoke with Izzy.

Maryse was at one end of the table, near Alec which meant Magnus was sitting next to Robert at the other end, which wasn’t in either of their interests.  Magnus did his best to only talk with Izzy and Clary who was across from him, but it was hard with Robert right there, interjecting into every conversation he had.

“You obviously aren’t good enough for my daughter,” Robert said.  He was on his third or fourth glass of wine which seemed to have loosened his tongue.  He sighed and shook his head, looking Magnus over. “I’ve watched you all weekend and I can’t see what she sees in you.  Probably too caught up in all the flash to see that there is nothing of substance underneath.”

“ _Dad_ ," Izzy hissed and Magnus shook his head, placing her hand on her shoulder.  He could handle this, even if he would prefer not to.  
Robert, undeterred, continued on.  “It’s not that I don’t love you, Isabelle.  You are easily the smartest of our children.  But you make the worst choices in men. This one will break your heart.  Best to get rid of him now. Besides, I will never give my blessing to such a union, so you are doomed already.  Why bother continuing this ruse when you know there is no future.”

Magnus considered defending himself but at this point, he no longer cared.  If he’d been thinking clearly, he would have realized just how defeatist that was but he wasn’t thinking clearly.  The only thing circling through his mind was that he hurt Alexander and he needed to find some way to fix it.

He didn’t know what kind of look he had on his face but when Izzy glanced at him, her jaw clenched and she turned to her father with a new fire in her eyes.  “You know what? I’m done. I’m done with all of this. I brought Magnus this weekend because I thought you could maybe be pleasant to him. You have some things in common if you would ever pull your head out of your ass long enough to notice.”

“Isabelle Sophia Lightwood!” Robert growled.  “You cannot speak to me this way, particularly in the defense of your vagrant boyfriend.”

Izzy rolled her eyes, “ _Doctor_ Magnus Bane is one of the smartest people I know.  Put himself through college and graduate school without any help from his father.  He made a name for himself in my field, discovering things that were once thought to be akin to magic.  And though it shouldn’t matter, Magnus isn’t my boyfriend. He is my best friend who agreed to this stupid idea because I knew you would take one look at my actual boyfriend and turn into a raging asshole.  I thought it might be different with Magnus. I was wrong.

“Magnus is the kindest man I’ve ever met and if you say one more disparaging thing about him, you will no longer have a daughter.  My actual boyfriend has a face tattoo and is out camping in the woods somewhere to celebrate the solstice with his chosen family. He doesn’t celebrate Christmas, he doesn't eat meat, he doesn’t care about money.  He doesn’t even have a last name! But I love him and I should have listened to Magnus when he told me that that should be enough.”

Turning her attention to Alec, Izzy frowned, “I’m so sorry, Alec.  I know this has been a horrible weekend for you. Magnus wanted to tell you yesterday but I wouldn’t let him.  I just wanted to get through the weekend without incident and then I would have told you myself. I just...I wanted dad to finally like someone I brought home.  But that’s never going to happen so I’m going to be happy with Meliorn and you can figure out where you want to go from here.”

The whole table stared at her in stunned silence.  Magnus knew she would tell them all immediately but such a vibrant outburst had not been a part of his expectations.  Clary, Simon, and Jace all looked pleased with the development though probably as stunned as Magnus was at how it all came out into the open.  Maryse and Max were nonplussed and Magnus didn’t even know how to begin to process that. Not when he looked at Alec and saw those beautiful hazel eyes directed right back at him.

The two of them stared at one another through the rest of the meal, Magnus unable to take his eyes off the man who had captured his heart, who unlocked something in him.  He could already hear Ragnor’s voice telling him it was too soon, that he didn’t know Alec well enough to have made the decision that he was the one. To which Magnus would answer that when you know, you know, and the moment he laid eyes on Alec, he knew.

Judging by Alec’s reactions, he felt the same way.  

As they ate, a tension filled the air but Magnus wasn’t sure anyone but him and Alec felt it.  His heart nearly beat out of his chest every time their eyes met. A dinner had never moved more slowly and despite how scrumptious he found the food, Magnus had something far more delicious in mind.

After what had to be _hours_ , everyone started to get up and go their own directions.  Robert hadn’t said a word since Izzy’s confession but the rest of the conversation continued on the way it had between everyone but Robert and the two men who were too lost in thoughts of each other to focus on anything else.  Clary and Jace took Simon to the media room to watch movies while Max went back to his own room, every bit the sullen pre-teen Magnus expected him to be. Maryse followed Robert to their room after pausing to give Izzy a hug. Magnus heard their mother whisper to Izzy and thought maybe there was still hope for Maryse Lightwood yet.  “I’ll call you next time I’m in the city.  I would really like to meet the actual person who captured your heart. If you love him, then I will too.”

Alec and Magnus pointedly ignored Izzy’s tears as she wiped them away.  Finally, she turned to Magnus and kissed his cheek. “Be good to him,” she whispered in his ear.  “And I’ll tell him the same thing.”

Magnus smiled at her and gave her a hug, thankful for a friend who would put herself in an uncomfortable position to make sure that the people she cared about were happy.  “You might need to find him first,” he sighed as they pulled apart and Alec was gone. Did he miss read everything?

“Library.  I’ll talk to him later.  I don’t think I’m the one he wants to see right now.”  Izzy lightly shoved him towards the door and Magnus grinned before taking off towards the other room.  

Staring at the closed door of the library, Magnus hesitated.  If his belief was right, this interaction might change the course of his entire life.  Should he knock? Just walk in? Maybe Alec needed some time first before he faced Magnus.  

But if Izzy was to be believed, Alec wanted to see him just as much as Magnus wanted to see Alec.  Buoyed by that knowledge, Magnus took a deep breath and let himself into the room.

Alec stood there in the middle of the room not doing anything, just staring awkwardly at the door.  Magnus slipped in and closed the door behind him, leaning against it as he took in Alec. Alec shifted from foot to foot, fingers fidgeting, even as he attempted to look calm.  “So,” he breathed out and Magnus had never been more thankful to hear another person’s voice. “You aren’t dating my sister?”

“Nope.”  Magnus smiled.  “Are you mad about that?”

Shaking his head, Alec smiled back at him.  “Not really. I’ll give Izzy a hard time about lying to me and I will need to find out if this Meliorn is good to her, but I am relieved.  I thought I was the worst brother in the world.”

Magnus pushed himself off the door and took a step towards Alec.  “I love your sister, that much is true. She’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had and the only person I would ever agree to such a scheme with.  Her boyfriend is a good guy if a little weird. Give him a chance, okay?”

“I was happy when I first met you.”  Alec took a step closer. “My sister has a good heart and often loves people who aren’t good for her.  So when I saw her with someone who treated her right and was polite with the lot of us, it seemed like maybe Izzy found someone we could actually approve of.  Not that we ever told her we didn’t like them, Just let her come to that decision.”

Alec sighed and looked down.  “The problem was, you were so beautiful.  Are. You are so beautiful. And you are funny, intelligent, kind.  You stood up to our father over and over and refused to be intimidated by him. Somehow, the first person my sister brought home that I was okay with her dating was the first person I've ever felt so much, so fast for as well.  I couldn’t say anything. Izzy was happy, and Izzy’s happiness is more important than my own. “

One more step and they were nearly chest to chest.  “Your sister is happy. I promise you that. So, do you think you could give yourself permission to be happy as well?”

Color tinted Alec’s cheeks as he nodded and tentatively took Magnus’ hand.  “Yes, I think I could.” He glanced up and Magnus followed his line of sight.  “Would you look at that?”

Magnus smirked and shook his head.  “Mistletoe? Alexander, did you hang that there?”

“I thought I might need an extra push.  If you haven’t noticed, I tend to run away when things get intense.”  He started to lean in and Magnus moved forward to meet him.

When their lips were a hair's breadth apart, Magnus whispered, “Please don’t run away.”

“Never again,” Alec promised and closed that last distance between them.  His arms wrapped around Magnus’ waist and pulled him close. For a first kiss, Magnus marveled at just how perfect it was like they were born to kiss one another.  One tilted one way, the other tilted the other and the together they reset the axis of the entire fucking world.

Magnus’ arms threaded up and around the back of Alec’s neck, not letting him move away even as they broke apart to draw a well-needed breath.  He inhaled quickly and dove back in for another kiss. They missed nearly three days of being able to kiss one another and Magnus wouldn’t miss another second.  

Kissing Alec was addictive and Magnus didn’t want to stop.  He swiped his tongue across the seam of Alec’s lips and was rewarded with a wanton moan.  Alec’s lips parted immediately and Magnus saw stars. No kiss had ever felt as good as this one.  Alec’s tongue moving against his own was a spiritual experience. Sucking lightly on it, Magnus rewarded by Alec pushing him back against the bookshelves, pinning him with his body and his beloved books.

Alec’s hips pressed against his own and that telltale hardness that Magnus had growing between his own legs as well.  A shift of his body brought pleasure to them both and Magnus opened his eyes to be met with the lust-blown hazels of Alexander. The two of them stared at one another, gazes open and expressive now that there were no more secrets between them.

There was nowhere else Magnus wanted to be.

Except...

“Darling, as much as I want this, do you think we should maybe go to bed before we continue?  I really think our first time should be done properly and not a quickly with all your books as witnesses.”

“Some other time,” Alec whispered, voice filled with promise. Magnus shivered at the thought that this wasn’t a one-time thing, that there would be another time.  Or hopefully many more times. Because it meant that Alec was on the same page as Magnus. Izzy was right and he owed her a thank you.

And a bouquet.

And a fucking marching band.

Alec kissed his neck, pulling Magnus from thoughts of his never was girlfriend and back to the man who he hoped to call his boyfriend by the end of the weekend.  “Bed, Magnus.” And who was Magnus to deny this man anything?

Taking Alec’s hand, Magnus led him out of the library and down the hall that led to the bedrooms.  He groaned when Clary, Jace, and Simon were all there talking in the hallway outside the rooms. Frustration and desperation warred inside Magnus at the thought that they were there to annoy them when all Magnus wanted to do was get Alec naked and horizontal as quickly as possible.

It seemed Alec’s frustration was equal to Magnus’ as he growled, “Get out!” the moment they saw the two men approaching.  Jace opened his mouth to argue and Alec held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. How many times in college did you two kick me out of our room?  Right now, you need to be anywhere but here or you are going to hear things you don’t want. Your choice.”

Knowing when he was beaten, Jace gave a quick nod and hurried out of the hallway towards the main part of the house, Clary, and Simon following behind, snickering the whole way.  

Magnus pressed Alec against the wall and kissed him long and deep.  “That was hot, darling. You can boss me around any time you want.”

Alec’s eyes dilated and Magnus grinned, pulling him towards the room that serendipity and idiotic homophobic parents forced them to share.  “God, I was so mad when Izzy told me we had to share a room. How was I supposed to keep my hands to myself when forced to literally share a bed with the man of my dreams.”

Sighing, Magnus shook his head, “I don’t know.  You did pretty well, much to my disappointment.”  The incredulous light in Alec’s eyes had Magnus bent over laughing.

“You were dating my sister and I literally woke up in your arms his morning.  I don’t know about you but that isn’t something I normally would do. I love my sister too much.”

Magnus kissed him, “And that is one of the things I adore about you.  But could we maybe not talk about your sister when all I want is to do unspeakable things to her brother.”  

“You have to let me in the room first.  Which means you have to let me off this wall.”  

Sighing, Magnus stepped back just far enough to let Alec slip from his embrace and open the door to their shared bedroom.  “Another thing to consider for another time,” Magnus quipped, echoing Alec's words back at him and delighting when the man choked on air at the mere thought.  “But for now, let’s make your parents regret making us share a bed.” He gently pushed Alec back towards the bed until Alec’s knees hit the mattress and buckled, causing him to fall onto his back.

“If I can’t talk about my sister, you can’t talk about my parents.”

Climbing on top of him, Magnus straddled Alec’s hips.  “If you want to talk about your sister in bed, Alexander, we are going to have some issues.”  Magnus pressed down on him, smirking at Alec’s sharp intake of breath. “So, darling? Are we going to have issues?”

“Sister?  What sister?  Please, Magnus.”  Alec grabbed his hands, pulling him down for a kiss.

Happy to oblige, they kissed for several minutes before Magnus remembered that Alec had just been begging him and wasn’t _that_ something he wanted to hear forever and always.  “Please, what, Alexander? What do you want?” He was teasing, sure, but Magnus also wanted to hear it from Alec’s own lips. It was important to hear it, to be completely clear what Alec wanted from him, and how.

Alec mumbled something, blushing a bright red.  “I didn’t catch that, Alexander. If you want something, you need to tell me.”

“Fuck me?  Please? I want you inside me.”  Magnus grinned delightedly when Alec found his voice and turned out to be even greater than he imagined.

In order to grant both their wishes, Magnus slowly began to unbutton the dress shirt Alec wore to dinner. As more skin was exposed, Magnus' mouth went dry.  How one man could be so beautiful, he didn’t understand. His heart was pounding, ready to jump into his own hands to be given to Alec without any hesitation.  

With the utmost care, Magnus and Alec undressed one another until they lay together completely bare.  Magnus trailed his fingers over Alec’s chest while Alec did the same to Magnus’ arms. “You are so beautiful, Alexander.  Gods, I’m lucky.”

‘I’m the lucky one,” Alec muttered, eyes trained on Magnus’ body.  “Have you seen yourself? Like all my fantasies come to life.” Magnus preened under Alec’s attention, glad that he liked what he saw.  If Alec had been disappointed in him, Magnus wouldn't have known what to do.

“Want to make some of your other fantasies come true?” Magnus asked, and words were lost to them after that.  Hands drifted across skin, gasps were swallowed into willing mouths and together, Magnus and Alec consummated that which had been growing between them since the moment they saw one another.

Magnus settled between Alec’s legs and they laced their fingers together as they began to move.  

Neither man was quiet, not caring who heard them.  Perhaps they should have been more concerned with Alec’s family all around but if they hadn’t seen what transpired between Magnus and Alec then they were not paying attention.  When even Simon could see it, there was no excuse for anyone else. Distantly, Magnus hoped Jace warned everyone else to stay away but honestly, he didn’t care.

Being with Alec was a religious experience.  They worshipped one another with hands and lips, teeth and tongues.  There was nothing else in the world but his lover and the pleasure building between them.

When they came together, angels sang.  
  
Slightly demonic angels, considering what they were doing. Angels in the process of falling. Not quite heaven but still more heavenly than earth. Tarnished halos, darkened wings, maybe about the same level as cumulus clouds.

 _Cumulus_ . Magnus giggles at the inappropriate thought, earning him a glare from Alec. “If you find this funny, you’re welcome to get off me.”

“Never, darling.”

Their eyes met and they both burst into laughter, their joy at being together bubbling over into an enthusiastic giggling.  Even as Magnus slipped from Alec’s body and they tried to clean one another, the smiles never left their faces.

They lay in one another’s arms, Alec’s head pillowed on his chest and Magnus couldn’t stop his mind from drifting back to that morning when he woke in exactly this same position.  But unlike the morning, he knew Alec was already awake and quite happy to stay there in his arms for as long as Magnus would allow.

Forever.  Magnus wanted him there forever.

“I forgot,” Alec mumbled after several long minutes of companionable silence.  

Magnus blinked, confused by the random thought, and waited to see if Alec would elaborate.  When he didn’t immediately, he asked, “Forgot what, Alexander?”

“To ask if you liked your present.  I sort of left before you opened it.”

Startling a little, Magnus briefly couldn’t remember if he’d liked it or not.  Then, he remembered and threw his arm off the side of the bed, groping around until he found his pants that had been discarded in the heat of the moment.  “Actually, darling. I didn’t open it yet. I was hoping you would be there when I did.” He didn't know why, other than it seemed wrong to open it without Alec there with him.  It was from him, after all. He deserved to see Magnus’ reaction.

He pulled the small box from his pants pocket and settled back into the bed next to Alec, who quickly wrapped his arms around Magnus’ waist and nuzzled close.  Magnus pressed a kiss to Alec’s temple. He unwrapped the gift, carefully like he had with the gift from Izzy. This one was significantly smaller but he wondered if it might be even more meaningful, simply because it was from Alec.  

Hoping the box, Magnus squeaked, half surprised and half pleased but what he saw what was inside.  One hand covered his mouth as he smiled softly at the necklace. “Alexander, darling, do you even know what this is?”  He pulled out the delicate silver necklace with a chemical compound engaged on a silver disk.

Alec shook his head, “I saw you wore necklaces, so I was going to get you one no matter what.  But then, it was a chemistry thing so I thought you might like it. Did I do okay?”

For a moment, Magnus found himself speechless, something he wasn’t very often.  “Alexander, you seem to be very good at surprising me. You picked this out without Isabelle’s help?”

“So, I did okay?”  He was so hopeful and adorable, Magnus just had to kiss him.  The two of them let their lips speak silently for a minute before breaking apart to smile at each other again.

Magnus nodded, “Darling, you must have just gotten very lucky because this chemical?  It’s dopamine, often referred to as the chemical of love. It’s what produces that whole giddy happiness of love, fires in the reward centers of our mind.  You literally gave me happiness.”

He tried not to laugh at the startled look on Alec’s face.  “Oh. So, that’s good.”

Chuckling, Magnus nodded, “That is very good, my dear.”  He smiled, sitting up and handing the necklace to Alec. “Put it on me?”  The metal was cool against his heated skin as Alec fastened it and kissed the back of his neck, causing Magnus to shiver in pleasure.  

“You gave me happiness when I found out you weren’t dating my sister, so I suppose that necklace is appropriate.  I want to keep giving you happiness if you will let me. For as long as you will let me.”

Magnus couldn’t let that go unanswered and he turned, settling into Alec’s lap.  Cupping his face with both his hands, Magnus kissed Alec gently. “Don’t say things like that, Alexander.  Because I will keep you forever.”

“Forever sounds just about perfect.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”  

The kisses became more heated and the two men drown in the emotions and pleasure building between them once more, only leaving the room well after midnight when everyone else in the house had already gone to bed.  They brought some food back to the room, feeding each other with their fingers before finally falling asleep with sated bellies and full hearts. Considering how the day began, Magnus couldn’t believe how well it ended.

The next morning when Magnus woke, Alec’s head on his chest, the man’s unruly hair in his face, he briefly feared everything had been a dream.  Even Alec nuzzling closer and holding Magnus a little tighter reminded him of the morning before and he felt that same panic bubbling up in his chest as he realized Alec was about to pull away again.  But instead of pulling away, Alec stretched up and gave Magnus a soft kiss and a sleepy smile that melted Magnus’ heart. “Good morning,” he slurred, eyes still heavy but somehow sparkling in the early morning rays.  

“Good morning,” Magnus replied, not even bothering to stop himself from rolling them both over so he was firmly on top of his lover.  “I worried it was all a dream, but it wasn’t, was it?”

Alec shook his head before kissing down Magnus’ neck.  “Definitely real but also a dream come true.”

Wondering if his heart would be able to handle the gentle honesty of this amazing man, Magnus smiled, shaking his head in disbelief.  “You, Alexander, are the most romantic man I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting.” The statement was only made truer by the adorably confused look on Alec’s face.  “You say the sweetest things just because you mean them, not for any ulterior motive. You have no idea how refreshing that is.”

“I didn’t think there was something unusual about that.  I always just say what I mean. Most of the time it makes people call me an asshole, not romantic.”  Alec still looked like a lost puppy and Magnus had to kiss the expression right off his face. Magnus never met a man like Alec before and rather doubted he ever would again.  Which was fine because he had _Alec_ and Alec was better than anyone else he could have ever asked for.  

Alec’s hand was threaded through his hair, holding Magnus close.  It took a moment before he caught his breath enough to smile and tell him, “I’m not most people and I will never call you an asshole.  There are many things I would like to call you, but asshole isn’t one of them.”

“Oh, and what are those?”  

Magnus grinned and pecked Alec’s lips with every word.  “Partner. Lover. Boyfriend.” And one last kiss for a word he couldn’t say.  At least not yet.

 _Husband_.

Because regardless of what Ragnor said, Magnus did know when too much was too much.  

“I like all those too,” Alec grinned and Magnus couldn’t help but wonder if Alec knew the word he was holding back.

The moment was broken by a strong fist pounding on the door.  “Breakfast is in five minutes, cars roll in thirty. I don’t care if you are having sex or whatever, get your asses out of bed.  There will be plenty of time for that once you get back to New York.” They stared at one another while Jace’s footsteps echoed down the hall.  Magnus had almost forgotten that they would need to go home that day. Even after all the stress and heartache of the weekend, a part of him was sad to leave.  This home would always be important to him because it was where he met Alec.

“Are you going back to New York?  Izzy said the two of you usually share a car.”

Alec nodded and pressed his face against Magnus’ neck.  He could feel the heat from his lover’s blush, probably embarrassed by his brother’s antics.  “Hope you don’t mind sharing a car with your ex?”

“I hate you,” Magnus laughed.  Alec tickled him and the two of them fell from the bed, tangled in the blankets and one another as they couldn’t stop smiling.  “Okay, no, I don’t.”

“That’s what I thought.”  This version of Alec - happy, carefree, laughing - was one Magnus wanted to see more and he simply shrugged at Alec, quite certain that what he felt for Alec was about as far from hate as it could get.  “Now, get up before Iz and Jace come in here to find out what all that noise was.” Alec set to untangling them, which proved to be far more difficult than either of them expected.

Finally extricated, Magnus smirked, “I’m pretty sure they think they know exactly what that noise was and they are not going to be coming in here to investigate.”  He tossed some clothes over to Alec and then started to get dressed, pointedly ignoring the way his lover was blushing halfway down his back.

Somehow, the two of them managed to make it to breakfast moderately dressed and not looking nearly as disheveled as Magnus would have expected.  There was some light-hearted teasing but everyone seemed genuinely happy for them. Other than the three who were notably absent.

“Where are the parents and you Master Maxwell?” Magnus asked, stuffing a piece of toast in his mouth while he leaned against Alec’s chest.

“They left at sunrise to get him back to school.  We won’t see them again until Easter,” Izzy explained, looking far more relaxed now.  Magnus wondered why these kids kept coming back if they hated being around their parents so much but it wasn’t his place to ask.  At least not yet. Maybe after dating Alec for a few months.

He smiled at her, “I don’t think I’ll be available to be your date for that weekend, darling.  I would like to believe that my weekends are booked for the conceivable future.”

“They are,” Alec agreed, wrapping an arm around Magnus’ waist to keep him close.  “But you can still come to Easter dinner. It will be funny to watch Dad’s head explode when he realizes we are now dating.”

The group agreed that would be well worth any pain of having to sit through another family dinner, and everyone cooed when Alec kissed Magnus, neither man able to do it properly because of their wide smiles.  

Saying goodbye to Jace, Simon, and Clary, Magnus and the Lightwoods climbed into their own car and started the long drive back to New York.  Alec leaned against Magnus and played with his rings while they all chatted. “So, normally I would say I told you so about the whole thing blowing up in our faces but I think it turned out alright in the end, so I will let it slide this time,” Magnus laughed, to which Izzy stuck out her tongue.  

“Just for that,” she mumbled, pulling out her phone and taking a picture of Magnus and Alec, in their casual yet oh-so-intimate position.  A few minutes later, Magnus felt his phone buzz with a notification and Alec pulled his out at the same time.

He laughed at the group text Izzy just sent to the two of them as well as Meliorn.  

_{text; Mel, Mags, Alec} MEL!  My brother slept with my fake boyfriend!  Are you going to avenge me?_

The laughter only grew louder when Meliorn replied almost instantly.

_{text; Iz, Mags, Alec} Fake boyfriend?  Is there something I need to know?_

Izzy’s look of shock had tears streaming from Magnus’ eyes and he shook his head.  “You didn’t tell your boyfriend that I was pretending to be him this weekend? Isabelle, you are really hopeless with this whole thing.  Maybe stick with actual boyfriends from here on out.”

“That is the best advice I’ve heard in awhile,” she laughed, quickly typing an explanation to Meliorn.  If Magnus knew the man at all, he probably thought the whole thing was as funny as he did. “But,” she pointed out, “you need to stick with your actual boyfriend as well.”

“Don’t worry, my dear,” he smiled, kissing Alec gently on the cheek.  “I’m not letting this one go ever again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was supposed to be the end until someone gave me a new plot bunny for this fic.
> 
> One more chapter!


	4. Easter

Magnus had been happier over the last four months than he could ever remember.  His work was going well with a breakthrough that would easily lead to several papers and probably even a conference presentation or two.  His friendship with Izzy was stronger than ever. They now understood each other better than they had prior to Christmas. Magnus had new friends in the form of Jace, Clary, and Simon who didn't actually live all that far from him so weekends often found them at Pandemonium with Meliorn, Simon's girlfriend Maia, and Alec.  

Alec.  His sweet Alexander.  The main reason why these four months had been so wonderful.  Upon arriving back in New York, the two of them quickly fell into a routine as if they were lovers of several years instead of several hours.  Each day found one or the other bringing his boyfriend lunch, the two of them eating together before hurrying off to whatever class or experiment or meeting they had next.   

Nights were always spent together, sometimes at Magnus' loft, sometimes at the apartment, Alec had in Manhattan.  Magnus couldn't remember the last time they slept apart but suspected it was the night before he arrived with Isabelle for that fateful weekend in the Hamptons.  They didn’t always go out, sometimes preferring to stay in, order takeout, and work on grading or watch bad television. As long as Alec was by his side, Magnus didn’t care what they did.

None of his previous relationships prepared him for this.  They were always a lot of work, trying to find that balance between what his lover wanted and what he wanted.  It was easy enough to spend a night or two or ten away from the people he once dated. But with Alec, it physically pained him to wake to an empty bed, even if he knew his boyfriend was in the shower or making them breakfast.

Perhaps that made them a little codependent but Magnus liked to think it just meant they were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship.  He rather hoped it would never end. Certainly, his love for Alec never would.

"Mags?" Alec called, pulling Magnus from his daydreams on the balcony of his loft.  He looked up, just in time to see his boyfriend walk out to meet him in just his boxers and a t-shirt.  "Did you hear me?"

He stood and gave Alec a quick kiss, "Not a word.  Sorry, darling. I was thinking about how happy you make me and sort of lost track of everything else.  What was it you needed?"

"I was just wondering if you could get the weekend off.  Any chance your research could handle your absence for a few days?"  Alec looked so hopeful, that open and happy expression Magnus rarely saw with anyone other than him and occasionally Alec's siblings.

The prospect of a weekend away with Alec certainly had his appeals and he grinned, "I'm sure the experiments could stand a break and I know I could.  What did you have in mind?"

"Well, it's Easter this weekend..."  

That much was true but Magnus didn't see how that applied.  Neither of them went to church or were particularly religious.  It wouldn't really be a big deal unless Alec had some sort of family...

His eyes widened in horror when he realized just what it was his lover was suggesting.  Isabelle's words from just after Christmas echoed through his head and he couldn't believe he'd forgotten about that.  Maybe it was his mind trying to protect itself, hiding any knowledge that could possibly cause him pain.

"You couldn't possibly want me there?" he gulped.  Surely, that wouldn't go over well. "I can make myself scarce.  Maybe Meliorn will take me camping?" And if that wasn't a sign of how terrified he was, Magnus didn't know what was.  When voluntarily camping seemed a better option to a weekend in the Hamptons, there was obviously an issue.

"Why wouldn't I want you there?  Aside from lying to me and my whole family the entire weekend, your presence was the absolute highlight of Christmas.  You can't possibly expect me to go back there alone, right?" Alec's eyes pleaded with him and Magnus cursed himself for being so weak.  How could he ever say no to those eyes?

Still, Magnus could at least attempt to put up a fight.  "Because as far as your parents know, I am just the liar who was trying to defraud their daughter.  Or whatever it was Robert said in that voicemail he left Isabelle." He paused and shook his head with a sigh, "Voicemail.  Who even uses that anymore, aside from really old people or really annoying people. Usually both."

"And think about how much fun it will be when you show up with me as my date this time.  Come on, Mags? Please?"

They both knew he would say yes.  There was very little Magnus wouldn't do for Alec.  He'd literally go to hell for him if need be. The Hamptons with Alec's parents wasn't too far behind that.  "Fine," he grumbled but smiled a little when Alec's whole face lit up. "As long as your sister is bringing Meliorn, and your brother and Biscuit will be there as well."

"I can do you one better."  Alec grinned, his enthusiasm quickly wearing down Magnus' concern over the event.  "Simon and his girlfriend are coming too."

"Maia?  Alright, in that case, I'm looking forward to it."  And he was. Even if he had to deal with Robert for another three day period, he would be with the man he loved and some of their closest friends.  Robert was a small price to pay for that.

Much like last time, a car pulled up to pick them up.  However, unlike last time, there were four people in the car instead of two.  Alec fell asleep almost immediately after getting in, the late night grading papers catching up with him.  Magnus eased him down to lie with his head in Magnus' lap and combed his fingers through his lover's hair while talking with Isabelle and Meliorn.

"Isabelle, have you told Meliorn what to expect?  Not that anyone can truly be prepared for this," Magnus teased.  "The siblings aren't bad. Some are actually quite lovely." His eyes drifted down to Alec where he slept in Magnus' lap and smiled softly at the joy the man brought him just by being alive.  "But the parents. Oh, the parents." Throwing head back dramatically, Magnus continued to moan and sigh.

Izzy kicked his shin, "That's enough out of you.  Mel has met my mother and they got along just fine."  Something Magnus knew because the five of them had brunch on occasion when Maryse was in Brooklyn for business.  She was definitely warming to their relationships and was Magnus and Alec's best supporter outside of their circle of friends.  He had a feeling that would be needed this weekend.

"Maryse is lovely if a bit uptight," Meliorn agreed.  As he took in the man's apparel, all linen, and leather, natural in a way that worked for him but Magnus could never pull off, Magnus wondered which sibling would draw the most hatred from their father for their choice of boyfriend.  

Probably still Alec.  Because he was a man and his father treated him so appallingly.  If he said one word to Alec over the weekend, Magnus silently vowed to rip the man's tongue from his mouth.  He wouldn't tolerate anything bad said about the man he loved.

Izzy and Meliorn fell into their own conversation and Magnus wondered if she was filling him in on all the details.  Like the sleeping arrangements.

"Who am I sleeping with?" he blurted out, realizing that not everyone else had been on that particular train of thought.  "I mean, last time when they thought I was dating Izzy, they made me sleep with Alexander. Considering how well that worked out for me, I'm not complaining but as much as I love this generation of Lightwoods, there is only one I want to sleep next to for the rest of my life."

Alec snuffled in his sleep and somehow manage to fold his lanky frame so he could roll towards Magnus on the seat.  He pressed his face against Magnus’ belly and sighed before settling once more. Magnus' heart clenched at the sight and he wondered if he could ever love anyone or anything as much as he loved Alexander.  The man was it for him and while Magnus had known it since their first night together, neither one had wanted to be the first to say it.

His eyes were still trained on Alec's face, the way the silky black strands of his hair looked against Magnus' fingers.  He probably would have spent the whole drive to the Hamptons admiring the love of his life if Izzy hadn't cleared her throat.  "You realize it's almost painful to watch you two sometimes? Like, this love that the two of you share, it's so intimate and so deep that it feels intrusive to watch.  I always wanted that for my brother but I'm not sure either of us really thought he would get it. Not because he isn't lovable because he is and not because he doesn't deserve it because if anyone does, it's Alec.  I just didn't think he would put himself out there enough so that he would be able to find this."

Magnus looked at her in confusion, trying to figure out if this was a compliment, a criticism, or just a comment. "Thank you for loving him, Magnus.  You don't know how much it means to me, and to Jace and to Clary. But most of all, to Alec. He needed you. Even before you two met, I think he was just waiting for you to come along."

"Izzy, if you are going to talk about me, at least do it someplace where I can't hear how embarrassing you are," Alec muttered, though Magnus wondered if anyone else could hear what he was saying, his words muffled by the fabric of Magnus' own shirt.  "And you shouldn't encourage her, Magnus."

"Hey!  What did I do?" he laughed.  

Alec rolled back a little so he could look up at Magnus.  "You must have had the besotted smile on your face to make her start her little lecture there.  You know the smile, right?"

"The same one you have right now?"

Magnus and Alec smiled at each other and Alec nodded, "Probably.  I think I get that look every time I see you." They continued bantering, not remembering that there were others in the car with them.  It was only when Meliorn laughed a little that they looked over at Izzy and her boyfriend. Alec glared in their direction. "What are you laughing at?  I can still rescind my blessing on your relationship with my sister."

"If you think that would stop her from doing what she wanted, then I do not believe you know your sister as well as you think you do," Meliorn quipped.  Magnus shook his head, knowing those were fighting words if he ever heard them. One did not question the relationship between Alec and his sister if they wanted to live.  Meliorn laughed, undeterred. "But I see what she was talking about though. Do you two ever stop?"

"No, they don't.  And it's as disgusting as it is adorable," Izzy said and they all silently decided to drop the conversation, though Magnus saw Izzy making faces at them whenever they started staring at one another for too long.  

He didn't think he could be blamed for staring.  A face like Alec's deserved to be looked at for as long as possible.

Magnus tuned Izzy and Meliorn out for the rest of the ride, talking quietly with Alec and sharing kisses whenever they got a chance.  Which was often. He couldn’t be blamed for that either. Alec’s lips were very kissable.

Pulling up in front of the now familiar home, Magnus felt the same tinge of concern he had at Christmas.  Not about being found out. Neither Magnus nor Alec wanted to hide what they felt for one another. But he didn’t think Maryse had told Robert about their relationship so he could only imagine what the man was going to say when he figured it out.  

“Jace, Clary, Simon, and Maia should all be here already,” Izzy explained, getting out of the car and grabbing her bag.  “Which means that dad will have an audience when his head explodes upon seeing you two together.”

“You’re enjoying this too much, Izzy,” Alec warned but unlike the last time they were here, Magnus could see the easy smile tugging at his lips.  Facing his father might not be something Alec really wanted to do, but at least it was for something good. And Magnus would be there by his side the entire time.  He’d never run away from a man like Robert Lightwood before and he wasn’t about to start now.

"Izzy, tell me you aren't the least bit curious how this is going to go down?  I mean, it's going to suck either way. We may as well make the most of it, right?"  

Magnus took Alec's hand and led him towards the door.  If they waited out here any longer, he would lose his nerve.  "Come on, darling. It's best if we get this over with. Like pulling off a bandage."

"That doesn't make this sound any better.  You are not comforting, Magnus."

"Wasn't trying to be."  He stretched up and gave Alec a quick kiss.  "Just think, if we can get through this, we can rechristen the bed in your room tonight."

Meliorn snorted, Izzy laughed, and Alec blushed a bright red.  "Magnus, you can't say things like that in front of my father."

"So you don't want him to know what a talented tongue you have?  Pity." He didn't give Alec a chance to respond, throwing open the door and pulling his lover inside.  Their friends and siblings were waiting inside and Magnus grinned at them as they all nodded back. The tension in the room was easily explained when Magnus saw Robert sitting there, obviously waiting for them all.  "Alec, Isabelle. I thought you would have been here earlier than this."

"Meliorn didn't get done with his work until five, dad.  I told you we wouldn't be here for dinner. It's not my fault you didn't listen."

Robert stood, most likely ready to tell Izzy off, when he saw Magnus standing there.  "What is he doing here? We already know he is a liar and a scoundrel and I do not give him permission to be in my home, not after what he did to Izzy."  

Everyone started to yell at once, except for Maia and Meliorn who had not been present for the original fiasco and Magnus who was enjoying the sight of the love of his life defending his honor.  

"Dad, enough.  He isn't here with Izzy.  He's here with me. I'm dating Magnus.  I'm sleeping with Magnus. If you have a problem with it, say it now because the truth is, I love Magnus and he isn't going away any time soon."  Alec turned to him, fire still burning in his eyes but softening upon meeting Magnus' warm gaze. "Let's go unpack. We can catch up with everyone later."

Alec didn’t give him a chance to argue, just took his hand and pulled him from the room.   "Alexander," Magnus hissed the moment they were out of earshot. "Do you really think it is fair to leave Isabelle to introduce Meliorn all on her own?  If he hated me, what do you think will happen with Meliorn?"

Stopping, Alec turned to look at him, a sad smile on his face.  "Magnus, this is the very first time I've brought a boyfriend home to meet my very homophobic father.  I can guarantee you that Isabelle could introduce the Pope himself as her boyfriend and he wouldn't hear a damn word she said.  The rest of his weekend will be spent trying to figure out how to punish us. Trust me, we did her a favor. She and Meliorn will be fine."

Magnus hated Robert.  He hated the fact that Alec was most likely right and that nothing else in the world would matter like the fact that his son had a boyfriend.  A boyfriend who loved and adored Alec as much as Alec loved and adored him. The fact that it _was_ Magnus probably just made it worse since Robert already hated him.  "Are you okay?" he asked, finally finding his words once more. “I mean, your dad isn't going to make this easy on you.  If you want to go back to New York, I will support you either way."

Shaking his head, Alec led him to the bedroom they'd shared four months ago, where the relationship was consummated for the first time and where they were finally free to be together.  "I want to be here. We don't get together very often and I want to see my family. I love them, even if they drive me crazy. It's one of the few times I get to see Max, too, so no, I don't want to leave."  Magnus waited, sensing there was a _but_ in there someplace.  "But, I'm not ready to face him again.  Lay down with me?"

Alec hardly had to ask.  Magnus stripped out of his out layers and lay down on what he already thought of as their bed and pulled Alec close.  Their lips met in a few tender kisses before both men closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep. It was early, barely after sundown, but in each other's arms, they were content enough to nod off for the night.  Facing Robert would be easier after a good night’s sleep.

Waking the next morning in the same bed where they first slept together was a little surreal.  Alec's lips on his neck and the hardness pressing into his side anchored him in the here and now, however, and Magnus moaned, long and low at the dual sensations.  "Alexander," he sighed, tipping his head to the side, still not opening his eyes for the day. "Does your family have any traditions that we will be missing out on if I keep you here for a few hours?"

"None that require my presence," Alec breathed against his neck and Magnus grinned, flipping them over so he was straddling Alec and kissing him deeply.  They often woke like this on the weekends, when neither had any place to be and despite being in Alec's parents' home, he wasn't going to pass up on their tradition.  

Alec's hands slid down Magnus' back and groped his ass, encouraging Magnus to roll his hips against them, draw groans from them both.  "Alexander, are we really going to be having sex?"

"We will if you stop talking."  Magnus laughed and captured Alec's mouth again.  His lover made a strong argument and one Magnus didn't wish to dispute.  Not when it got him this.

They were just shimmying out of the boxers they slept in the night before when someone knocked on the door.  "I drew the short straw," Jace's voice carried through the door. "No one wanted to come back here for fear of what we might hear.  No rush but we're going to hang out on the beach for the day. Maia's a marine biologist or something so we've already lost her." Both Alec and Magnus stared at one another then at the door in disbelief as Jace just continued talking, "So whenever you are done doing whatever it is you are doing that I don't want to think about because you are my brother and ew, we will be out there, okay?  Okay."

"Jace?" Alec called out as Magnus giggled and tucked his head against Alec's neck.  "Shut up and go away."

"Yep, sorry, going."  Footsteps hurried down the hall and both Magnus and Alec couldn't stop laughing at Jace's obvious discomfort.

"Do you ever get the feeling that Jace has spent too much time with Sherwin?  Like, when he married Clary, he married Solomon too, and now they are becoming one giant single entity?"  Magnus continued to giggle as he spoke. "We should give them a name. Like Clacemon or something."

"I realize the rules weren't clear when we first started out but when I said I didn't want to talk about my sister while in bed, I also meant I didn't want to talk about my brothers or anyone they might be dating, married to, or whatever."  Alec rolled away from Magnus, ignoring the way his lover pouted at him. "Also, I think Maia might have an issue with you trying to put her boyfriend into my brother and Clary's relationship." Magnus tried to run his hand over Alec's chest, to move closer to him but Alec slipped from his grip and climbed out of bed.  "Nope, you broke the rules, Magnus. And you made a stupid name for them. Clacemon? It sounds like a really bad Pokemon. Probably one that would be more likely to set itself on fire than do any actual damage"

Magnus crossed his arms over his chest and glared.  "How long am I banned from touching you because if I have to wait more than about fifteen minutes, I'm going to start murdering people. I waited three long days to be able to touch you when we first met and I vowed to never stop once I was allowed.  Are you honestly going to make me break my vow, Alexander?"

Alec pulled on a shirt and made his way to the other side of the bed, leaning down to kiss Magnus quickly.  He smirked as he stood back up. "I think you can make it an hour, don't you?"

He put on the rest of his clothes and left the room with Magnus yelling after him, "You are a cruel man, Alexander Lightwood and I hate you!”  His only reply was Alec’s echoing laughter.

With a heavy sigh, Magnus pulled himself from the bed.  If he wasn’t going to be in there with Alec, there really wasn’t much of a point in staying there at all.  He dressed slowly and took his time on his makeup. Most likely it would be a trying day with Robert and Magnus wanted to make sure he was as irritating as possible for the horrible man before he even said a word.  By the time he was done, Magnus was pleased with the look and knew Alec would be as well.

Everyone was already eating by the time he got there and Alec’s eyes lit up the moment Magnus walked in the room.  He pulled him close, resting their foreheads together. “Damn you’re beautiful,” Alec whispered, though everyone in the room could easily hear him.  “How did I get so lucky?”

Alec’s words wrapped around his heart and tears burned in the corners of his eyes.  He was the lucky one, even if Alec couldn’t see it. But with an audience, Magnus held back on being as sappy and romantic as he felt.  Instead, he smirked and gave Alec a quick kiss. “You didn’t get lucky, darling. You left me alone in bed. That is the exact opposite of getting lucky.  Besides, I thought you weren’t going to touch me for an hour?”

“It took you over an hour to get ready, Mags.  You survived your ban just fine.”

Magnus wanted to say more but Clary piped up, “Magnus, you might have survived just fine but Alec was out here slowly losing his mind.  If he bounced his leg any more, he probably would have dug a hole in the floor.”

“Not to mention the fists.” Izzy smirked, watching Alec’s obvious discomfort at being called out like that.  “Clench, unclench, over and over. Frustrated much, big brother?”

“I hate you all,” Alec grumbled.  

Magnus took pity on him and kissed him before sitting in a chair and pulling Alec onto his lap.  “Darling, there is an easy solution to this. You, me, and the bed. We can go to sleep early. Or maybe a mid-afternoon nap.”  He bounced his eyebrows, delighting in the flushed look on Alec’s face. The fact that he knew just how far down that blush went was even better.  

“Magnus,” Alec whined, sounding more like a petulant child than a professor of ancient languages and one of the smartest people Magnus ever had the privilege of knowing.  “They don’t need to hear about this.”

“On the contrary,” Jace interrupted.  “I need to hear more about this plan so I can come by and bother you at exactly the wrong time.”

Everyone laughed as Magnus and Alec flipped him off at the same time, sharing a grin when they realized what the other did.  “Now, I heard something about the beach. And if I can’t get this beautiful man back into bed with me, I would very much like to go out there.”

Magnus grabbed a croissant from the table and stole sips of Alec’s too sweet coffee while they planned out their day.  Alec never moved from his lap and Magnus kept his arms wrapped around his lover’s waist, content to hold him there for as long as he possibly could.  

With a plan in place, Magnus stole one more quick kiss from Alec and was ready to stand up when all their heads whipped to the door to see Robert standing there, scoffing in displeasure.  “So it wasn’t enough for you to defile my home at Christmas. Alec had to bring you back to rub your perversions in my face. No one wants you here, so just go back to New York and we can pretend we only have normal, moral children.”

Alec’s head dropped and Magnus saw red.  He couldn’t imagine why this man kept trying to hurt his own son, a man who was exceptional in every way.  Magnus ran his hand up and down Alec’s back while he thought up a retort but someone else beat him to it.

“That’s enough!”  Everyone’s eyes went wide when Maryse stepped into the room between everyone and Robert.  “I’m tired of you doing this, Robert. Alec is our son. He is successful, brilliant, and loving.  He has done nothing to draw your ire but you can’t let go of your own prejudices to see that. I’ve spent enough time with Magnus and Alec to know that what they have is special.  Their meeting might have been unconventional but the love they share is something most people only dream of. It’s the sort of thing I always hoped would develop with you. But you can’t love anything but yourself.  I’m ashamed it took me this long to admit it.”

Robert was undeterred, “He lies with other men, Maryse.  And in particular, he lies with men who wear jewelry and makeup and dress like a...”

“Choose your next word carefully, dad.”  Alec was on his feet before anyone could stop him.  “I’m tired of this. Every time I come home, you do this.  And I’ve put up with it. Maybe not well but I come back here every time, just like you know I will.  Because you know how much our family means to me.”

Alec turned back to him and took Magnus’ hand in his own.  “But while it hasn’t been long, I know that Magnus is family too.  Even if you don’t understand it or can’t believe that this is real, I love him with everything I am.  Magnus isn’t going anywhere and you are literally the only person in this room who is upset by that. I won’t lose my family if I don’t come back here because they will still love me.  I will only lose you to which I say, good riddance.”

He turned to leave, pulling on Magnus’ arm but Magnus stood firm.  He hoped this would be the last time he got to see Robert, which meant he needed to make this count.  “Just a moment, darling,” he said to Alec, smiling reassuringly at him when he saw the concern in his eyes.  “Robert Lightwood, my whole life has been spent around people like you. People who can’t see past the color of my skin, the clothes that I wear, the people that I love.  People who think it is okay to look down on me because of the things that I am most proud of in my life. And I made peace with that a long time ago. It isn’t my job to fix you and your cold, shriveled heart.  It is my job to love Alexander, to make sure he knows he is worthy of every good thing in this world, even when the man who was supposed to be his greatest supporter turns on him at every stage.”

Magnus looked at Alec, his beauty breathtaking but it was his heart and his mind that gave Magnus the motivation to keep trying to be a better person every day, just for him.  “Despite all you have done to tear him down, Alexander turned out to be an extraordinary man. Even if he hadn’t seen fit to love me in return, it would have been the honor of my life to be his friend.  I do not think that he became the man you see in front of you due to any of your influence. I think the people in this room, the ones that truly love him, were the ones who supported him and helped him succeed.  So I think the question you need to ask yourself isn’t if you are willing to lose your son. I think it is if you are willing to lose everyone. Because if given the choice between Alec or you, I know who everyone will pick.”

"My family would not abandon me.  I support all of you. If you were to side with Alec and his unnatural lifestyle, I would cut you all off.  You'd be left without nothing. Jace, Isabelle, you know I am right. You can't think that these two do _that_ is at all acceptable.  When you have children, what will you tell them about their uncle?"  Magnus barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. Robert was getting desperate if he was pulling out the 'when you have children' card.  Knowing the siblings like he did, that was hardly going to get them on his side.

Isabelle laughed and rolled her eyes.  "Dad, I think the only person who thinks more about Magnus and Alec's sex life than Alec and Magnus is you.  I don't care what they do when they are alone because my best friend and my brother are happier than I've ever seen them.  That is all that matters to me."

"But, man is supposed to lie with a woman, not another man."  

Magnus did not miss the look that passed between Alec and Izzy and he knew immediately something was about to happen.  What it was, he didn't know, but it would be big. Huge. Epic.

"Dad?" Izzy asked, voice sweet and smile soft.  "Do you remember my college roommate Lydia? The one you tried to set Alec up with?"

Nodding, Robert smiled for perhaps the first time since Magnus and Alec arrived at the house the day before.  "Of course. Now she would have been a good match for him. Good family, strong name. Would have had beautiful children.  No way he could have any of that with this man."

When he first came up to the Hampton's with Izzy back in December, Magnus told Robert exactly who his father was.  Robert knew there wasn't a stronger name on the New York financial scene then Bane. Magnus never used it to his advantage, but having a son-in-law from that family seemed like something Robert could brag about if he could ever pull his head out of his ass.

The rest of the family looked back at Izzy and Alec tugged Magnus closer.  It felt like his boyfriend was pulling him out of the line of fire, something that felt confirmed when Izzy replied.  "There were two problems with that plan, dad. First, Alec was, is, and always will be gay. You've known that since he was fifteen and the fact that you were trying to set him up with a woman is disgusting.  And two, Lydia wasn't interested in him. At all. Want to know how I know that? Because I was the one fucking her, not him."

Magnus' hand flew to cover his mouth, though whether it was from shock or amusement, even he couldn't tell.  Judging by the reactions around the room, no one else knew that. Except for Alexander, who beamed at his sister as if she held the answers to the universe.  

"You were _what_?" Robert bellowed.

Izzy shrugged.  "I. Was. Fucking.  Lydia. I'm bisexual, dad.  Alec's known since I was thirteen.  The night he came out, when you yelled at him for hours, he came to my room when you were done to see if I was okay.  Something you certainly didn't do. And I told him then. He told me not to tell you until I was ready and as you made it quite clear how you felt about people like Alec and myself, I wasn't ready.  Until now. I won't let you talk to my brother like that. I won't let you talk to my best friend like that. And if I have to choose between Alec and you, Alec will win every time. He's been there for me when I needed him.  You've been there for me when you need someone to make you look good. Do you see the difference?"

Meliorn was giggling in the background and Izzy turned to glare at him though Magnus could see she was barely restraining herself from laughing also.  At least her boyfriend was supportive, something Izzy would probably need in a few minutes once the adrenaline from the situation wore off.

Strong arms wrapped around Magnus' waist and he leaned back against Alec.  "Don't be mad at her for not telling you I don't think anyone besides Lydia and myself knew."

“Alexander,” Magnus whispered, turning in his lover’s arms to look at him.  “When and how people come out is entirely up to them. If Isabelle didn’t want to tell me, she didn’t have to.  End of story.” He could hear chaos in the background, probably Robert running his mouth off once more but at that moment, he was most concerned about Alec, knowing the rest of the family would support Izzy, even if they were surprised.  “How are you feeling? Are you okay?” No matter how awful Robert was, he was still Alec’s father and he could only imagine the pain he might be feeling having to do this over and over again.

Though, this was the first time Alec ever let everything out, which might work in his favor.

“I feel great,” Alec said, and Magnus nearly melted at his smile.  “I thought I would be upset but he’s always been awful. He’s always going to be awful.  And I know my brothers and sister aren’t going to leave just because I don’t want to talk to him anymore.”  Their foreheads pressed together, holding each other tight. Despite being in a room filled with Alec’s family and their friends arguing loudly, it was intimate as any embrace they shared in private.  “Besides, I have you. You make me brave.”

Magnus kissed him.  “You’ve always been brave.  I just gave you proper motivation.”  He couldn’t imagine a world in which Alec didn’t stand up to his father eventually.  Maybe he did it sooner than he would have because he had Magnus in his life, but he would have gotten there all the same.  

Standing there, trading kisses and whispering to one another, it took minutes before they realized things had calmed down.  Magnus rested his head on Alec’s shoulder, looking behind them to see that Robert and Maryse had left, and the rest of their friends were standing there, staring at them with increasingly pleased grins.  

“That was amazing you guys,” Simon grinned.  “I’ve never seen someone like Robert cower before but between you two and Izzy, he was shaking in his boots.  Loafers. Whatever those shoes were. And then your mom. Seriously, your mom is badass. I want to be like her when I grow up.”  

Magnus and Alec shared a grin and then looked back at Simon.  “Do you ever stop talking?” Alec asked. Before they started dating, Magnus would have thought Alec was serious but now he knew how much his lover liked Simon.  He might not show it in traditional ways but he thought of him like another brother at this point.

Amazing what could change in four short months.

“If you two are done being romantic and insulting my boyfriend, I thought we were going to the beach,” Maia said, nodding towards the doors.  “Tide is low and I want to go see what’s out there.”

Everyone filed out quickly, as no one wanted to stay back and risk running into Robert again.  Magnus was curious now how the rest of the weekend would play out but not enough to stay in the house and be subjected to Robert's verbal abuse once more.  

Magnus took Alec's hand and smiled at him as they walked along the sand to the firepit where they'd first cuddled back before they were even a couple.  It was warmer now, no need for the fire or the blankets but the moment they sat down, Magnus nuzzled into Alec's side. Alec's arm wrapped around his waist and they both sighed contentedly.  

Robert could say, yell, shriek whatever he wanted but it didn't change anything.  Magnus loved Alec with everything he was and there wasn't a damn thing the Lightwood patriarch could do about it.  Magnus fully intended to marry Alexander someday and then Robert would have to deal with a man like Magnus carrying his precious family name.  And with his own son carrying a different last name from Robert.

They might have already discussed it.  Magnus wasn't the only one who knew where this was going.  

"So, are we going to talk about that bombshell back there?" Clary said as soon as they were all seated.  

Everyone turned to look at Izzy who shrugged and leaned back against Meliorn.  "I like men and women. I don't think there is anything wrong with that."

Both Magnus and Meliorn shook their heads to the surprise of no one.  Most of the others did as well except for Simon who grinned and shrugged, "I'm pansexual and I am so pleased with how you guys stood up to him.  That was amazing."

As everyone talked and laughed, Magnus relaxed and felt Alec do the same next to him.  Having the support of Alec's siblings and all their friends certainly made things easier.  "You have an amazing family, darling," Magnus whispered.

"And an amazing boyfriend.  Thank you for what you said back there."  

"You don't need to thank me, darling.  I love you. I am always on your side. You never have to doubt that, okay?"  If Alec thought Magnus would leave him for anything, he had another thing coming.  This? What they had? This was more than Magnus ever thought he would get and he knew just how blessed he was by having Alec in his life.  

Alec leaned in and kissed him, gentle lips against his own and Magnus sighed into his mouth.  These moments together were the sort of thing he lived for. "Alexander, we have an audience," he whispered when they broke apart.  Glancing around, everyone was staring at them, grinning like maniacs. "Don't you people have anything better to do?"

"Then watch my brother with the love of his life?  Nope, don't think we do." Izzy's smirk was so self-satisfied, Magnus could do nothing but stick his tongue out at her like the mature professor that he was.  "Come on, Magnus. You two are adorable. It's either watch you or look at whatever new, slimy creature Maia brings over."

Down closer to the shore, Maia was combing the beach for interesting things, showing them to Simon who followed along reluctantly, though Magnus thought that had more to do with his disinterest in the slime then his interest in Maia.  Simon smiled at her like she hung the moon and Magnus suspected he had the same look whenever he looked at Alec.

"Surely you took some macrobiology, Isabelle.  It isn't the worst thing in the world to look at things that don't require a scanning electron microscope to see them."

"You just wish you had the access to it that I do," Isabelle shot back and then they were off.  Alec had gotten used to it over the months, the friendly rivalry between their labs. It was mostly a war of words, of which both Magnus and Isabelle had plenty.

He took a breath to quip back at her when Alec put his hand over Magnus' mouth.  "We are on vacation. Stop with the work talk."

Magnus glared and winked, Alec's only warning before Magnus licked his hand.  

"Magnus Bane!  What are you, twelve?"  Alec yelped and wiped his hand on his jeans.  

Giggling, Magnus pressed his face to Alec's shoulder.  "You love me. Don't even try and deny it." Because in the end, that was what mattered.  This, right here, was what they were here for.

Spending time with the people they cared about, laughing with the man he loved.  Magnus saw all the couples, happy with one another and happy as a group, and his heart broke for Robert.  Because he was going to miss out on all of this. This group had such a capacity for love but they wouldn't give it to someone as heartless as he was.  And that was sad, even if Robert brought it on himself.

"I love you, Alexander."  Magnus smiled as he stole a kiss, resting against Alec in absolute contentment.  

Alec kissed the top of his head and whispered, "I love you, too."

They spent the afternoon out at the beach and by the time they returned to the house for dinner that night, neither Robert nor Maryse was anywhere to be found.  "Do you think she killed him and is currently hiding the body?" Magnus whispered conspiratorially. "I would like to think she would have asked us to help her if that was the case.  Particularly Isabelle and myself. We know all the good ways to destroy the biological material."

"Magnus, please stop talking about destroying my father's body.  Besides, we all know my mom would be far more inventive than that.  She'd come up with something that couldn't be traced back to any of us in the group. Please, give her some credit."  Alec grinned at him and Magnus couldn't help but laugh.

Magnus and Maia made dinner, banning anyone with the name Lightwood from entering the kitchen.  Clary wasn't so bad but the rest of them were more inclined to burn something than create anything edible.  

By the time they brought everything to the table, Jace offered each of them a drink.  “Drink up. Lightwood family tradition.”

Never one to turn down a drink, Magnus accepted it with a grin and settled into his seat next to Alec who had a much stronger drink in front of him than normal.  “So, is the tradition to just get drunk every time everyone is together or is there more to it than that?”

“Well, Max isn’t here this year so I tried to tell him that it wasn’t necessary but if you haven’t noticed, these Lightwoods are a stubborn bunch.  Basically, we get trashed and hide the eggs for Max to find in the morning. Since he isn’t here, we will need to get extra trashed so we don’t remember where we hid them and can find them in the morning.”

Magnus, Simon, Meliorn, and Maia all shared a look, a look of fond amusement.  Magnus loved this family for all its quirks. “One, Biscuit, you should really be included in that stubborn group.  You might be the worst of them all. And two, that sounds fun, so we should get started.” He downed his drink in one gulp, ignoring Alec’s chastising _Magnus_.

What happened the rest of the night was a blur of alcohol, laughing, something regarding Easter eggs, and a rather heated makeout session in Alec’s library.  At least Magnus remembered that. Though, it was because he couldn’t find his shirt the next morning until they found it hanging from one of the lamps in the room.  “Looks like we had a good time last night, Alexander,” Magnus said, grabbing his shirt from the library and following his hungover lover out to the living room where the rest of the assembled group looked just as bad as they felt.  

“I’m blaming you for this, Biscuit.”  Alec closed his eyes and rested his head against Magnus’ shoulder, ignoring everyone’s amusement about him using Magnus’ nickname for Clary.  “She never gets to plan family activities again.” He didn’t say anything else, drifting off to sleep in Magnus’ arms right there on the couch.

Sighing, Magnus pressed his face to Alec’s hair, inhaling deeply.  His head didn’t pound as much as some of the others, he was certain, but he wasn’t completely unaffected either.  “My darling cannot hold his alcohol,” he said, chuckling.

Clary, Maia, Simon, and Izzy nodded along with him.  “Meliorn either. He tries but is largely unsuccessful.”

“Same with Jace, but you all know that.”

It took a while before the rest of the group joined them and even longer before they were ready to even attempt finding the eggs they’d hidden.  “Did you notice your parents’ bedroom door is closed? They must have come back sometime. And here I was hoping we could have a peaceful dinner.” They were traipsing down the hall to the bedroom, a basket of plastic eggs filled with terrible chocolate swinging between them.  They both needed a nap and a shower before dinner but the moment the door closed, Alec’s lips were on Magnus’ neck and all thoughts of rest went right out the window.

“Still want that nap?” he muttered against Magnus’ skin.  

He shook his head and threaded his fingers into Alec’s hair, holding him close while walking them back to the bed.  “No, I want my beautiful boyfriend who left me in bed alone and frustrated yesterday.” Magnus grinned as he his legs hit the bed.  Sure, he could have tried to get back at Alec but then they would both be left alone and frustrated and that didn’t sound like nearly as much fun as making Alec scream his name so loud Robert couldn’t help but hear it.

Tearing their clothes off, the two of them fell into bed, Magnus on top of Alec, giggling the whole way.  Hangovers forgotten, the two kissed and made love to both their satisfaction before drifting to sleep naked and in each other’s arms.  

“I don’t think we’re getting our showers,” Alec mumbled, waking Magnus from his nap.  He blinked his eyes a few times before looking at the clock. Ten minutes until dinner.  Magnus was sticky and gross, needing both a shower and time to get ready, neither of which he was going to get.  

He sighed and snuggled closer.  “I guess your dad can’t hate me any more than he already does.  So if I go out there looking like I just fucked his son, it’s not really going to harm anything.”  He felt Alec’s laugh and grinned. “Or we could just stay here and go for round two?” Magnus tried to keep the hope out of his voice.  He knew they had to be there, no matter how much he wanted to stay right where they were.

“Magnus, we are going to have dinner with my family, then we are packing up and going home.  Then I never plan on setting foot in this house ever again.” With how important family was to Alec, Magnus couldn’t imagine how difficult it was for him to come to that decision.  He was really only cutting out one person but this home was full of memories and happiness along with the bitter feelings Robert inspired. He wouldn’t just give up that for nothing.  

“Never say never, my love,” Magnus smiled.  “You don’t know what the future holds.”

“No, I don’t,” Alec admitted, “but I do know that you will be there for all of it.  If you want.”

Alexander Lightwood was many things, but if he knew he was a poet and a romantic, Magnus didn’t know.  Every time Magnus thought he was used to his lover’s blunt way of speaking, Alec said something new that sent Magnus’ heart tumbling even more in love with him.  Loving Alexander was a roller coaster ride that only went up.

Heart pounding in his chest, Magnus’ eyes crinkled around the edges as he leaned in to kiss Alec.  “You, darling, are the most romantic person I’ve ever met. I love you.”

“I love you too.”  Alec took his hand and the two of them left the bedroom, now dressed but far more disheveled than they should have been going to a formal dinner with Alec’s family.  Stepping into the room, both men stopped short. Something was different. It felt strange compared to every other meal they’d shared with everyone and it took Magnus a moment to figure out why that was.

People were laughing.

Every single person in that room looked like they were having a good time.  

Magnus blinked.  Looked at Alec. Blinked again.

It took another moment to realize what had really changed.  

Robert wasn’t there.  

“Get in here and stop lurking in the doorway,” Maryse said, waving the two of them in with a smile.  In synch, they stepped inside and took their seats across from Izzy and Meliorn. “Now that you are all here, there is something I need to talk to you about.”  Exchanging glances, the excited chatter came to an abrupt stop the moment Maryse spoke.

Maryse took a deep breath and looked down at her hands folded in her lap.  “Simon, Maia, Meliorn, Magnus, I’m sorry for what you have had to witness and deal with this weekend.  And I’m sorry if this conversation puts you all in an awkward position. But as people who love my children, I don’t feel right asking you to leave right now when they might need your support.”  Despite the delicious looking food on the table in front of them, not one person was eating. Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand, more than willing to be his support should this be a conversation that brought him pain.  

“Things between your father and I have not been good for some time. I know you are already aware of this, Isabelle, but I’m not sure your brothers are.  Jace, Alec, your father has been having an affair. The woman in question is actually very lovely and I don’t blame her for this. It is your father who made this choice and your father who has tried to pretend he is this bastion of morality in our family while breaking the sacred vows we made.”

“You don’t have to put up with that, mom.”  Alec reached out with his free hand to take hers.  “You deserve better than him. You always have.”

Maryse smiled and Magnus saw tears sparkling in her eyes.  She was a formidable woman, one who would be a terror to go against in court and Magnus almost felt sorry for Robert.  She could take him for everything and he wouldn’t know what hit him. But Magnus wondered if she thought Alec would disown her like he had his father.  “I know, Alec. And I’ve been over him for a long time. I guess I just thought it was better for Max to have a both of us when he came home. But after Christmas, and then yesterday, I knew.  It is better for all four of my children, and the people that love them, to feel comfortable and happy in my home. You shouldn’t have to be on alert the moment you step through the door. And I’m sorry for just now realizing it.”

Izzy and Clary both wiped tears from their eyes and Magnus wondered if he would ever be able to feel his fingers again considering how hard Alec was squeezing them.  “You kicked him out,” Alec said, breathless and in awe. The small smile that spread across his face was one of pure hope and joy. Magnus wanted to see that smile every day for the rest of his life.  

“Yes, I did.  He’s back in Manhattan packing his things.  He will be moving in with his mistress. I plan on keeping both the penthouse and this home.  Those are the places my children grew up and I will fight tooth and nail to keep them. I’m not letting him take those from you.  He’s already taken so many years.”

Maryse turned to look at Alec.  They wore identical smiles and Magnus realized he’d never seen them look more like mother and son.  “Alec, I’m so sorry. I know you’ve suffered more than anyone else. I thought he might come around.  I thought I might finally get him to understand. But he never will and I’m sorry it took me so long to see it.  I love you and I’m so proud of you. I couldn’t be happier than you found Magnus. And Magnus, thank you for loving my boy.  Thank you for being there for him when I wasn’t.”

Alec was crying and Magnus wasn’t much better.  “Maryse it is my privilege. You’ve raised a good man.  The best I’ve ever met.”

Through many more tears, hugs, and smiles, the family eventually settled down to eat the now cold meal.  And while they ate, Magnus couldn’t stop smiling. He was happy because Alec was happy. Watching a marriage come to an end wouldn’t be anyone’s idea of a good time but it was clear that everyone suffered while Robert was around.  Now that he was gone, it felt like the could finally breathe. Maryse smiled more than he’d ever seen and everyone laughed and joked.

“Remember what I said when you claimed we were never coming back here, darling?” Magnus asked when Clary went to grab the dessert and a bottle of wine.  

Alec blushed and leaned in to give him a kiss.  “I believe you said something wise about never saying never.  I didn’t think you would be proven right so soon.”

“Well, I am something of a genius.  So, you think it would be okay to come back here sometime?”

Alec paused and looked out over his family and Magnus followed his gaze.  Izzy laughed at something Meliorn said while Simon entertained everyone with a rather dramatic story involving a rat.  (Magnus really didn’t want to know). Maryse smiled at the group, laughing along with them. Clary kissed Jace before taking her seat once more.  They were happy and Magnus wondered when was the last time that happened. “Yeah, I think I want to come back,” Alec said eventually. “What do you think about the Fourth of July?”

Magnus grinned back at him, delighted.  “I think it’s about time I got to see that beautiful body out on the sand.  Will there be fireworks?”

Instead of an answer, Alec leaned in to kiss him.  

There were fireworks indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as you might have guessed from both the increased chapter count and the last couple lines...I'm writing another chapter. I can't let this fic and this universe go. The first three chapters were all I originally had planned but then this one happened and now another one is in the works. 
> 
> Don't expect it for a while though. Between the SH Hiatus Big Bang and a vacation I have coming up in a few weeks, it will probably be at least a month. So be patient with me.


	5. Fourth of July

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The happy couple returns to the Hamptons once more to spend the holiday with their nearest and dearest.

“Darling, are you ready?”  For as much grief as Alec gave Magnus for all the clothes that he packed for simple weekend getaways, Alec took far more time getting ready to go than Magnus ever did.  “I don’t understand why it is so hard for you to choose between your vast array of grey and black shirts. Pick a couple so we can get going. The car will be here any minute.”

For the first time since they met, Magnus was looking forward to the family trip to the Hamptons.  Maybe because there was no Robert to deal with. Maybe because it would be the first time they would all be together since Easter.  Maybe it was because he would finally get to see Alec shirtless on the beach like he’d fantasized about since the moment he first laid eyes on him.  Maybe it was a combination of them all.

(If he was honest, it was mostly the shirtless thing.  It should be illegal for Alec to wear shirts. Magnus needed to find a way to make that into law.)

Alec came out of their shared bedroom with the bag in hand, looking flustered but grinning all the same.  They’d moved in together only three days prior, having decided that paying rent on two different apartments was stupid when they stayed the night together every night as it was.  So Alec was still in the process of unpacking and settling into what used to be Magnus’s home. And now belonged to them both. “I couldn’t remember what box my swimsuit was in. I thought you might be upset if I forgot that considering all you’ve talked about for the last week was going on the beach as soon as we get there.”

“For that, I am happy to wait.  Because you are right. I need some sand and sea as soon as possible.”  He stole a kiss from Alec then grabbed his own bag. “The driver called and said he would be here in five minutes.  That was seven minutes ago, so get your cute butt moving so he doesn’t leave us behind.”

Magnus followed Alec out the door and down to the street where the car was, in fact, waiting for them.  “Aren’t Izzy and Meliorn joining us?” Alec asked as he got into the strangely empty car.

Chuckling, Magnus followed him in.  “Since when did I become an expert on your sister’s schedule?”  He winked at Alec and continued, “Her experiment finished earlier than she expected so they caught a ride with Jace and Clary.  I believe her exact words were ‘You and my brother are so disgustingly cute. If we ride with them, we can be the cute couple for a few hours.’  I couldn’t disagree with her. We are disgustingly cute.”

“I’m not sure I like that phrase,” Alec mumbled, wrapping an arm around Magnus’s shoulders once they were both settled. 

Magnus, on the other hand, loved it.  He never had a relationship before this where everything just worked.  Being with Alec was as easy as breathing, even if sometimes the love of his life took his breath away.  

Everyone could see it, too, which made it all the better.  With any other person he dated before Alec if he tried to move in with them only six months after getting together, his friends would have thrown a fit.  They all believed he made terrible choices when it came to his personal life and that would have been just one more in a long line of mistakes. Ragnor voiced his displeasure at Magnus’s decision to accompany Izzy to Christmas instead of spending it the usual way with all of them, half-drunk and avoiding their own families.

“It will end in disaster,” Ragnor warned and Magnus agreed that it was a stupid thing to do but he really couldn’t see a way for it to end badly.  And then Alec happened. 

Alec was the answer to every question Magnus ever had about the world around him, even those he didn’t think to ask.  Even “how could pretending to be my best friend’s boyfriend possibly be a disaster”? During that fateful weekend, Magnus almost called Ragnor to come save him.  But he couldn’t bear to deal with the condescending  _ I told you so  _ he would have received the whole drive home.  It was the only thing that kept him from fleeing the Lightwood family home and never coming back.

And in the end, not calling Ragnor was the best decision Magnus ever made.  Because that drive home was spent with Alec Lightwood in his arms, and every night since found them tangled together, even more in love than they were the night before.  

So, yes, Magnus made terrible decisions when it came to his love life.  Until Alec. 

Cat and Dot approved right away and even Ragnor accepted him not more than an hour after meeting when the two men lost everyone else in the room when they started excitedly discussing some new text that was recently deciphered.  Raphael was the only one who took a while to warm up to him. It might have been even a whole day. But when Alec had even Raphael’s approval (due to their shared love of their siblings), Magnus knew his bad decision days were behind him.  

At least about his love life.  Raphael still lamented his wardrobe but that was because Raphael was boring and had no sense of style.

When Magnus and Alec decided to move in together only a few months after meeting for the first time, not one of his friends raised any concerns.  In fact, all of them supported their decision, as did Alec’s siblings and their partners. Magnus knew how lucky they were to have one another and to have so many people in their lives that supported them.  

“Will Max be there?” he asked as they left the city behind and began the drive through the suburbs and countryside to the Lightwood family home.  Magnus hardly paid attention to the drive, more focused on Alec’s fingers laced through his own, the solid warmth of their hands pressed together.  

Alec’s thumb grazed over the back of his hand and Magnus felt his heart settle into that comfortable rhythm it always had when it was just him and the love of his life.  He had no doubt that Alec was the one for him and he knew Alec felt the same way. They’d even briefly talked about marriage but decided that even if they were certain, some things shouldn’t be rushed.  

One day Magnus Bane would call Alec Lightwood his husband.  Until then, boyfriend was just fine. 

“No, he’s always at camp over the summer.  There’s one in California that he loves. Our cousins go there too so it gives them a few months to reconnect before they’re back to their boarding schools.”  Alec must have noticed the way Magnus frowned because Alec squeezed his hand gently. “It’s okay. We all did it growing up. It was always better to be at school or camp than at home.”  

But now, with Robert gone and everyone smiling so much more than when he first met them, Magnus wondered if this summer was different if Max wouldn’t like to be there with his siblings and friends.  However, it wasn’t his place to say and at least he wouldn’t have Alec yelling about his language at every turn.

“I suppose we will see him again at Christmas,” Magnus said with a shrug and rested his head on Alec’s shoulder.  Christmas seemed so far away but Magnus looked forward to seeing what new traditions the family came up with now that they were free from Robert and his sour personality.  “Until then, I think we can find some way to have fun on our own, don’t you?”

Alec caught the hint of mischief in Magnus’s voice if the slight darkening of his eyes and quirk of his lips told Magnus anything.  “We are still surrounded by Jace and Clary, Izzy and Meliorn, Simon and Maia. Not to mention my mother. We can’t have too much of that kind of fun, Magnus.  No matter how much we might want to.”

“I’m sure we can find some time, darling.”  Magnus caught Alec’s lips with his own and they passed the next hour in each other’s arms, making out like teenagers.

When they reached the house, Magnus reluctantly pulled away, even though Alec held on as tight as he could.  “I think Izzy might be onto something with that ‘disgustingly cute’ phrase after all,” Alec admitted when his arms finally dropped back down to his sides.

“And when she and Meliorn decided to ride with Jace and Clary instead.  I don’t think we would have been left uninterrupted for that long if we had an audience.”  

The driver helped them get their bags and the two pushed open the front door, pulled into hugs immediately by Izzy and Clary.  “You made it!” Magnus’s favorite redhead squealed, hugging him once more. “I thought you would never get here.”

“Well, I’m not the one who got a fellowship halfway around the world for two months, now am I?” he teased.  They’d all been proud of Clary when she was given the chance to go to Rome for two months to work with some of the art professors there.  The class was studying the more modern art style she specialized in and they called her in to be a visiting professor for a while. “You’re going to need to tell me all about it.  I haven’t been to Rome since I was about twelve.”

Clary opened her mouth, surely to launch into the whole tale of her time in Italy when Jace interrupted.  “Before she starts on that saga, maybe you two want to take your stuff to your room? Meliorn and Simon are barbecuing while mom and Izzy supervise.”  

Just the thought of Izzy being near food had both Magnus and Alec pulling faces and they rushed to drop off all their things so they could be out on the patio as soon as possible.  By the time they got there, everyone else was assembled except Maia. Magnus raised a brow at Simon who nodded towards the water. “You try getting her away from the ocean. I sometimes think the only reason she is dating me is so she can come up here every few months and look at whatever new and slimy creatures have washed up on shore.”

“Can you blame her?” Jace asked and everyone laughed when Clary smacked him on the back of his head.  “What? I love Simon as much as the next person but she has to be getting more out of the relationship than just him.  That hardly seems equal.”

“The same could be said about you and my dear Biscuit,” Magnus pointed out.  “What is it that she gets out of her relationship with you to make it worth her while to stay?” 

Before Jace could answer, surely with something that would have half the group in stitches and half blushing fiercely, Clary clamped a hand over his mouth, silencing him.  “Siblings,” she said instead. “I always wanted a big family but it was just me and mom. Now I have a big family. And all I have to do is put up with him.”

She yelped when Jace licked her hand and then chased her out onto the beach, tackling her to the sand.  Their shared laughter reached the rest of the group and Magnus couldn’t have stopped the smile on his lips if he tried.  He loved these people. They were his family now, even if it wasn’t official yet. He knew Simon and Maia felt the same way.  It was amazing how six short months could change so much.

Alec smiled over at him and something settled deep in his chest.  If someone told him even a year ago that it would be possible for him to feel this happy, Magnus would have laughed at them.  But looking at Alec, knowing that he had found the love of his life, it was almost overwhelming. 

“Hey,” Alec said, wrapping his arms around Magnus.  “You okay?”

Somehow, Alec always knew when Magnus needed a hug and Magnus settled into the embrace, tucking his head against Alec’s neck.  “Yeah. Just thinking about how lucky I am. I love you so much, Alexander.” 

“I love you too, Magnus,” Alec muttered into his hair and for a moment the rest of the world fell away.  It was only the two of them now and forever. 

Until a hand gripped Magnus’s bicep and tugged him away from his lover.  He opened his mouth to complain but it settled into a smile instead. “Magnus, lovely to see you again.”

Magnus gave Maryse a big hug, happy to see her as well.  Over the past couple of months, ever since she kicked Robert out, Maryse had really begun to blossom.  For the few months that Magnus knew her, she’d been strong and formidable but now she was even more.  She took that strength and turned it towards her children. She’d become the loving mother he knew Alec always hoped she would be.  And she was the loving mother Magnus always wanted. “Maryse, you look lovelier every time I see you. How have you been?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Magnus saw Alec speaking with Izzy, smiles on both their faces and he wondered if getting rid of Robert wasn’t the only thing that made Maryse look so happy these days.  

“I’ve been well.  I missed you at Isabelle’s symposium a couple weeks ago.  I thought for sure that you would be there.”

How he’d wanted to be there as well but work often found a way to interrupt the things he wanted to do.  “I was there in spirit. Unfortunately, tenure committees don’t care about whether you would rather be at a biochemistry symposium rather than in tedious meetings regarding your own work.  But I am happy to announce that I am now a full professor, tenured and not going anywhere. The university and the city are stuck with me.”

Maryse glanced over his shoulder, her smile soft and warm, nothing like how she’d looked when he met her over the Christmas holiday.  “I think there are a few people who will be happy to hear that but one, in particular, must be thrilled.”

“I am.”  Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus’s waist from behind, resting his chin on Magnus’s shoulder.  “And unbelievably proud. But how could they not tenure him? He’s a genius.”

Heat burned on his cheeks and Magnus dropped his eyes, still unused to Alec’s glowing praise.  “Says my boyfriend who can understand languages that have been dead for a thousand years.” Alec’s field of study never failed to impress Magnus.  Alec was the real genius as far as Magnus was concerned. 

“Alright, before you two get into a contest over who is the smarter one of the group, which I think we all know is quite obviously Isabelle,” Maryse winked at them before continuing, “We are going to do fireworks tomorrow night but otherwise, there is no plan.  You all have fun and relax. You all work far too hard.”

“Coming from the woman who runs one of the biggest law firms in New York.  I do hope you haven’t brought work home with you, Mother.” 

Maryse rolled her eyes good-naturedly and nodded out at the beach.  “Go out there and have fun. I’ll call everyone when the food is ready.”

That was all Magnus needed to hear.  He grinned at Alec and took his hand before practically dragging him out to the shore.  “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to do this?” he asked stripping off his shirt so he was dressed only in the shorts they rode up in.  

“Hmm, since Izzy mentioned the Hamptons while you two were plotting to fool me and my whole family?”  Alec’s words might have been cutting were it not for two things. One, the large grin splitting his face and two, the fact that he was staring hungrily at Magnus’s chest.  “Honestly, I’m rather surprised you didn’t come out here and try to sunbathe in December.”

Magnus fell silent for a moment, remembering when he came out here at Christmas when Clary found him and they talked about how idiotic the whole plan was.  How he was hurting himself and he was hurting Alec and Izzy not being embarrassed about her boyfriend wasn’t really worth it. Not that Magnus didn’t love his best friend, but Isabelle was a grown woman and could have stood up to her family long before it almost kept Magnus from the love of his life. 

“Mags, please tell me you didn’t.”  Alec mistook his silence for embarrassment and Magnus forced himself to smile, though he knew Alec would see right through it.  

He shook his head.  “Of course not, Alexander.  But I did consider it which might be bad enough.”

Alec stared at him and Magnus could almost see him trying to decide whether to call Magnus out on his bullshit or let it go.  In the end, Alec made the best possible decision (at least in Magnus’s opinion). He stripped off his shirt and tossed it on the ground next to Magnus’s.  “Usually Izzy, Clary, Jace, and I play volleyball while we’re here. But Izzy is off with Meliorn, so, what do you say we go beat them into the sand?”

Magnus hadn’t noticed that Meliorn and Izzy had disappeared but he couldn’t blame them.  They were on vacation after all. It would be a shame not to take full advantage of the situation.  

“I would love to be able to hold that over Blondie’s head for the next year.  You’re on.” 

Alec called Jace over and the two of them began setting up the net while Magnus and Clary went to get the ball and some drinks for everyone.  “I’m glad you’re here, Magnus. Not that I ever expected otherwise. I heard you two moved in together.”

“We did.  We figured there was no point in paying rent in two lofts when one sat empty every night.  It was the best decision I’ve ever made. Waking up next to the man of my dreams is better than I ever expected.”  Magnus was a scientist. He knew that the idea of soul mates was a little outdated and very illogical. But, he also knew that what he had with Alec was different.  Special. So, maybe there was such a thing as soul mates after all. 

Clary elbowed him.  “That’s so sweet. And I feel the same way.  I know Jace can be a lot to deal with and we fight as often as we are affectionate, but I can’t imagine my life without him.”  No matter what she said, Magnus knew that ninety percent of Jace and Clary’s fights were all for fun, the couple’s competitive natures and sarcastic personalities coming out with explosive results.  

As expected with two highly competitive couples, by the time they were called up to the house for dinner, all of them were covered in sand, a few bruises and barbed insults were being thrown back and forth, mostly between Jace and Alec.  Clary and Magnus just exchanged exasperated eye rolls and grins. They couldn’t even agree who won and the two brothers spent most of the meal arguing over the results of the game. 

Most of the group, exhausted from the afternoon and evening spent in the sun, retired early.  It turned out that running around the beach was more outdoor exercise than most of them typically saw.  The also knew the next night would be a late one as they celebrated Independence Day. 

Magnus, however, wasn’t tired and led Alec out to the beach once more, where they laid down hand in hand and let the sound of the ocean waves lull them into a warm sense of comfort and relaxation. 

As the two lay in the sand, staring up at the seemingly endless array of stars spread out above them, the sky was cut through by a streak of light and Magnus squeezed Alec's hand lightly.  "A shooting star. Make a wish, darling."   
Alec looked at him with all the love in the world and shook his head.  "I don't need to make a wish. You're here with me. My wish already came true."

After that, the stars held no interest for him. 

Waking late the next morning in Alec’s bed but without his lover, Magnus blinked rapidly, trying to remember if they’d both gone to bed the other night.  A pleasant soreness in his body told him that yes, Alec had been there at one point but was gone now. 

Before he could ponder it too much, the door opened and a sweaty, flushed Alec stepped inside.  “Crap, I was trying to be back before you woke up,” he said, crossing the room in three large strides, bending to kiss Magnus as soon as he was close enough.  “Went for a run with Jace but I wanted to be back so you could wake up next to me.”

Magnus couldn’t even be mad because that was the sweetest thing he’d ever heard.  And also because the version of Alec standing in front of him - half-naked, muscles on full display, covered in sweat - was one of his favorites.  “If you don’t want to end up back in this bed in thirty seconds, I suggest you get your cute butt into the shower.”

“And if I want to be back in that bed?” Alec asked, brow raised in challenge and fuck if that didn’t do things to Magnus’s libido.  He reached out a hand, happy to pull Alec back in and keep him occupied for the next hour when someone knocked on the door. 

“Shower’s open!  Then we’re going to the beach so don’t even think about doing what I know you want to.”  Muttering a string of obscenities under his breath mostly about idiot brothers and cock blocks, Alec pulled away from Magnus, much to his dismay.

Alec gave him an apologetic smile, “Don’t look at me like that.  You wanted to go to the beach and if I stay here, we won’t be down there until lunch.”  Magnus opened his mouth to argue but Alec held up a finger to stop him. “When we get home, we will spend all day in bed, okay?  But if we don’t go to the beach, I’m going to have to hear it from you until the next time we get up here. So I’m going to shower, you’re going to put on whatever ridiculously attractive bathing suit you brought, and then we are going to play in sand and surf for the day.  Deal?”

There was no way Magnus was going to turn down a day on the beach and a day in bed with Alec.  He got two of his favorite things with that deal so he pushed himself off the bed and closed the distance between them.  “You have yourself a deal, darling. But you better be out on that beach without a shirt on because I’m not ready to give up this view just yet.”

“You’re hopeless.  Go get ready, Magnus.”  Alec gave him a quick kiss and then slipped out the door before either of them could pull the other back into bed.  

While Alec showered, Magnus worked on his hair and makeup - something understated that wouldn’t run if he got wet out there - and pulled on his swim trunks.  By the time he was pushing a few rogue strands of hair back into place, Alec was reentering the room, much cleaner and in only a towel. 

“Mags,” he breathed, eyes trailing over Magnus’s chest and arms.  “I...” Shaking his head, Alec took a deep breath and averted his eyes.  “Damn, I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

As a few drops of water ran down Alec’s chest and they stood there in the same room they first shared when they got together, Magnus thought Alec had it all wrong.  His lover was gorgeous, intelligent, funny, and caring. He was the catch of a lifetime and Magnus would be mad to let him go. “Sorry, darling. I’m the luckiest man in the world.  And we’re both going to get lucky if you keep standing there in that tiny towel.”

To Magnus’s horror (and delight), Alec dropped the towel but almost immediately pulled on his swimsuit.  “Fine, but I liked what I saw,” he muttered quiet enough that he almost thought Alec didn’t hear it until his boyfriend snorted a laugh.  “Let’s go. We can’t let Blondie and Biscuit get the best places for towels.”

Alec took Magnus’s hand, “You seem to forget who you are talking about.  Jace will spend the entire time trying to impress Clary with his supposed athletic prowess while Clary hides from the sun so she doesn’t look like a tomato by dinner time.”  

Still laughing when they stepped out of the house, Magnus squinted at the bright light.  The sand shifted under their feet as they made their way to the rest of the family. Jace and Simon were attempting to play beach volleyball while Maia was back down at the shore, Izzy and Meliorn were sunbathing, and as expected, Clary was huddled under an umbrella, obviously hoping for a miracle. 

“Biscuit, darling, you don’t have to hide there all day.” He grinned at her and offered his hand when Alec went to lay out their towels near Izzy and Mel.  

She swatted his hand away and went back to the sketchbook she had in her hands.  “You probably tan like crazy and look so gorgeous that you and Alec will disappear before lunchtime.  I, on the other hand, will burn if I spend more than a few minutes out there so let me have this.” No one could argue with that.  One look at her made them all certain she was telling the truth. And while Magnus loved her like a little sister, he had no desire to hide in the shade for the rest of the day.  “Well, darling, if you decide that you would like to come out and get some vitamin D, you will know where to find us.”

The day really was perfect.  Already warm, despite it still being morning and it would certainly be hot by midday.  In the city, the heat was oppressive and almost unbearable. Here, with the soft breeze coming off the ocean, the salty air, and the warm sand under their feet, Magnus could put up with any amount of heat.  

“Darling, you do know we are supposed to be relaxing,” he sighed, sitting on the towel next to Alec.  “Put the work away.”

“It’s not work, Magnus.  This is for fun.” The argument might have held more water if he wasn’t well aware that the book in Alec’s hand was most certainly not in English and likely not in a language even spoken anymore.  

He plucked the book from his hand and gave a sad sigh when he noticed the ancient language.  “Alexander, I love my job as much as the next person - possibly even more - but when you are at the beach, bringing a novel written in archaic French, is it, is not acceptable.”  Magnus had his own novel to read but mostly he wanted to lay there and enjoy being this relaxed with the man he loved and the people he’d come to think of as family.

“Just because it’s an old language doesn’t mean it’s for work.  Some things are meant to be read in their original language and this is one of them.”  Alec grabbed Magnus’s wrist and tugged him over. “Besides, if I have to sit here and look at you dressed like that without some sort of distractions, we won’t be spending much time out here alone.  So you have a choice, miss out on the beach because I need to drag you back to our room, or let me read my novel in peace.”

Magnus sighed and dropped the book back down on his lover’s chest.  “You’re lucky you are pretty. And smart. And have the most talented mouth...”

He never got to finish that thought as Alec slapped a hand over his mouth, glaring at him.  “My mother is here, Magnus. You can’t say things like that.”

“Like what, darling?” he asked, all innocence and naivety when Alec dropped his hand.  “I was commenting on that seminar you gave last month. I’ve never heard anyone able to pronounce so many unusual words with such ease.”

For some reason, Alec didn’t look convinced and Magnus simply smiled at him and went to lay back down.  “What did you think I was trying to say, darling?” he asked as he slipped his sunglasses over his eyes and let the sun warm his skin.  “If I didn't know better I would think your mind went to someplace very inappropriate considering we are spending the entire day with your family.”  

Alec grumbled under his breath and Magnus thought he was going back to his book.  Instead, a moment later, his boyfriend was straddling his hips, pressing his shoulders back against the beach.  “Like your mind doesn't go there each and every time we come up here?” 

His mind did go there, several times a day.  Magnus couldn’t be blamed for that, though. Alec Lightwood was sex on long legs and Magnus really liked having those legs wrapped around him.  And with Alec in this position, Magnus’s mind and body were following that train of thought to the logical conclusion. 

Watching Alec’s eyes roll as he felt Magnus reacting to the wonderful stimulation Alec was unintentionally giving him, Magnus grinned up at his boyfriend.  “You are awful and I hate you,” Alec sighed.

Magnus gave a quick roll of his hips and smirked, “I believe your body thinks otherwise.  You love me and we are in this very position right now because of you.” Wrapping a hand behind Alec’s neck, Magnus pulled him down into a kiss.  With Alec’s lips on his, Alec’s hands on his sun-warmed skin, it was easy for both of them to forget where they were entirely. It wasn’t until he heard a whistle and someone sprayed them with cold water did either of them remember who was nearby.  

“Alright, who had fifteen minutes?” Maia called, having made her way up to the rest of them at some point.  She looked amused, as did everyone else. Particularly Jace with the large squirt gun he was holding. 

Alec’s brow furrowed into what Magnus fondly referred to as his ‘confused puppy dog face’.  “What are you talking about? Fifteen minutes?”

“Until you two were making out and being disgusting.”  Magnus wondered if he’d been wrong in liking Meliorn. His smug smile had Magnus itching to punch him in the face.  Though, that was more because he didn’t like the fact that they were interrupted. And the fact that no one asked him for his bet.  

Alec’s frown got more pronounced as Maryse raised her hand.  “I had fifteen minutes. Everyone pay up.” There was grumbling as money was exchanged between the group and Maryse counted her winnings.  

Only then did Alec understand what had happened.  “Mom? You bet on us making out?” Magnus tried to stop himself from grinning, but he couldn’t believe the development he’d seen in Maryse in just the few short months he’s known her.  She went from saying almost nothing while her husband there down her eldest child for every possible thing to being here, so supportive of his relationship with another man that she was betting on how long it would take for them to kiss.  

Maryse Lightwood was a goddamn hero as far as Magnus was concerned, and she’d earned every penny of her winnings.

She also didn’t look remotely sorry for making the bet.  “You know I love you both and I am so happy you've found one another but let’s be honest, you two can’t keep your hands off each other more than about five minutes at a time.  The fact that you made it fifteen seems like a miracle. The only reason I bet that time period was because of how excited Magnus was for the beach.”

The blush on Alec’s cheeks was brighter than anything the sun could have caused.  But his smile was even brighter. While it was embarrassing to Alec to be caught by his family, Magnus knew he was thrilled their relationship was accepted like it was.  

Ales sighed and shrugged.  “Okay, okay, you all win. But, in my defense, have you looked at him?  Why wouldn’t I want to be with him all the time?”

Reaching up, Magnus cupped his lover’s cheek and sat up enough to give Alec a kiss.  “I could say the same about you.”

“You two need to knock it off,” Simon laughed.  “You really do make the rest of us look bad.” Everyone went back to what they were doing and eventually Alec slid off Magnus’s lap and laid down next to him once more.  

“Do you really think we are bad?” Alec asked.  “I mean, should we try and contain ourselves more so they don’t have to see us kissing all the time?”  

Magnus rolled to his side to look at Alec, head propped on his hand.  “Alexander, your family is happy for you. They tease you, yes, but it’s because that is how they are.  You all tease one another constantly.” Nodding, Alec grinned. The love in this family was unlike anything Magnus ever experienced before.  “There is nothing wrong with us expressing our love for each other. If you want to tone it down, we can, but I want it to be because that is what you want, not because you are afraid of what other people think.”

Alec leaned in and gave him a kiss.  “I don’t want to stop. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.  I just... I’m not used to having someone I can be open with around my family.  And I’m even less used to them be okay with it. When I came out, my siblings were supportive of course, but none of us could really say anything about it for fear of dad.  He preferred to believe there was nothing ‘wrong with me’ as he would say, and convinced himself that if he nagged enough, I would settle down and marry some nice girl. And now that he’s gone, there’s a new feeling in the family that I love.  I think I’m afraid if I do anything wrong, though, this perfect bubble might pop and it will go back to the way it was.”

When Magnus first came to this house and met this family back at Christmas, he never knew a family that loved each other as much as this one but was so uncomfortable around one another.  It was clear to anyone who spent any time with them that Robert was the cause of it but as no one challenged him, they all continued walking around on eggshells. But with Robert gone, the love was at the forefront.  This bubble wouldn’t pop. This was the Lightwood family the way it was meant to be. 

“It won’t.” Magnus put every bit of surety he had behind the words in the hopes that his boyfriend would believe him.  “This is your reality now, Alexander. A family that loves and supports you and your choices. All your choices, be they professional or personal.  You don’t have to live in constant fear of messing up because they’re all going to love you either way. I’m going to love you either way.”

Alec stared at him and Magnus could see all his thoughts pass over his features until they settled into one of those bright smiles that lit up Magnus’s heart and world every time he saw them.  “I love you too. And they’re your family also. I mean, not officially yet. But they will be someday. Right?”

“I have no doubt in my mind.”  The two traded kisses, simply chaste pecks for a moment before settling back on to their towels.  Magnus closed his eyes and basked in the warmth, both from the sun and from the knowledge that this was as permanent for Alec as it was for him.

As much as Magnus enjoyed his last two trips to the Hamptons (though Christmas was really only good at the end), he decided then and there that being here in the summer was by far the best.  He enjoyed listening to the laughter of his friends, feeling the heat from the sun and the softness of the sand. He enjoyed having Alec next to him, half-naked and practically glowing in the bright day.  As far as Magnus was concerned, this moment right here was practically heaven.

They'd have to go back tomorrow and reenter the real lives, which was fine.  Magnus loved his job, he loved his home, he loved having Alec to come home to every day.  But there was something magical in being here with all their friends and family, away from all the extra pressure the world often put on them.  

At some point, Alec got dragged into a volleyball game and Magnus propped himself up on his elbows to watch. The muscles moving under Alec's skin would never fail to get Magnus hot and bothered.  He'd even taken up martial arts so they could spar on occasion. While he told people it was a good workout (better than running, that was for sure), it was mostly because he and Alec could put their hands all over one another and no one could say a thing.  And if most sparring sessions ended with one of them pinned to the ground, trading kisses and grinning, then that just made it all the better. 

"Darling, you can take Blondie.  I have faith in you," he called, laughing at Jace's indignant expression.  He glared at Magnus and Alec took the opportunity to spike the ball into the sand, earning a point for his own team.  Isabelle and Alec versus Jace and Clary didn't seem like a very fair match up to Magnus but who was he to complain.

After the point, Jace spun on him.  "That's not fair! You were cheating?"

"Jace, how in the world was I cheating?  I'm not even playing the game. If you can't handle a bit of good-natured banter, might I suggest a sport that doesn't involve heckling?   Have you ever considered mini golf?" He smiled innocently at Jace who couldn't decide who to glare at more; Magnus who said the words or Alec who was bent over, laughing hard.  "Alexander, my love, focus on the game. You wouldn't want to lose to your brother, now would you?"

They passed the afternoon like that.  The Lightwoods playing volleyball while Magnus sunbathed, Maia and Simon beach combed and Meliorn did...whatever it was that Meliorn did.  Magnus liked the guy but figured it was better not to ask questions when it came to him. 

They had lunch by the shore, people occasionally running back to the house for more drinks or more food when supplies started to run short.  But mostly, they spent time together, laughter filling the air in a way Magnus had yet to hear from this family in the past. Even at Easter when they were finally free of Robert, there was still the hint of his presence in the air.  Now, there was no mention of him. It was like he didn’t even exist and the dark cloud that he was had lifted off of everyone.

The difference was most dramatic in his own Alexander, Magnus noticed.  When he first arrived back at Christmas time, Alec was cold and closed off, terrified of letting anyone in.  He was technically out but too afraid to step a toe out of line to actually enjoy his romantic life. Magnus's heart hurt for him then and it still hurt for the man his love used to be.  

Watching him play volleyball in the sun with his siblings, his pale skin and dark tattoos practically glowing, making him look far more angelic than Magnus ever saw, Magnus was happy for the way things worked out.  Because maybe he and Alec would have found each other eventually. He honestly believed they were meant to be and nothing could have kept them apart for long. But he also knew that if things had happened differently, if they'd met at a bar or at a faculty social, they might not have the relationship they did.  

The pain of their first meeting made their final declarations to one another that much more satisfying.  And knowing what Alec was like without him, Magnus also knew what he was like without Alec. They'd talked about it, about the Magnus who would pick someone up at the bar just to have some companionship for the night, only to move on this next morning.  The Magnus who drank too much whenever life just became too much. The Magnus who, despite everything he accomplished in his life, still feared that people only looked at him and saw his father. 

Now, together, Magnus believed they'd grown into the best versions of themselves.  An out and proud Alec who never hid who he was, often instigating most of their affection.  One who didn't hide his passion for books and literature and history by hiding away in a library where no one could mock him for his life choices.  Isabelle told him once that this was the Alec she always knew her brother could be. 

On the flipside, there was Magnus, who wore his last name with pride because when Alec looked at him, he saw him, not his horrible father.  A Magnus who enjoyed a glass of wine on the balcony of their loft with his boyfriend every night and fell asleep in the arms of a man who loved him more than he ever thought possible.  Someone who knew he was worthy of the love he was given but always striving to be better because it was what Alec would. 

He was pulled from his musings when Alec came over and laid down next to him, closing the distance to kiss him deeply.  "You want to come play with us? We can get Meliorn or Simon to join as well?" Alec asked, his cheeks flushed from exercise and sun.  The smile on his face was brighter than anything in the sky and Magnus couldn't believe how lucky he was to have him. 

"I am quite enjoying my view from here, my love," he whispered, kissing Alec once more.  "Please, don't stop on my account."

He expected Alec to go back out there to play, but instead, his boyfriend laid on his back, face turned towards the sun.  His eyes closed and the soft smile on his face. Blindly reaching out his hand, Alec laced their fingers together and Magnus let his own eyes fall closed, content with the love of his life by his side.  

That night, as the whole family gathered back on the beach for the Fourth of July celebration, Magnus leaned against Alec and watched as Jace lit off firework after firework, the brilliant colors exploding against the darkened sky.  

Alec's eyes widened with delight as he watched each new explosion and as much as Magnus wished to watch as well, he couldn't take his eyes off Alec.  The bright colors painted across Alec's features and Magnus never wanted to look away. 

"What?" Alec asked, turning to smile at Magnus.  "You keep staring at me."

"And I'm going to keep staring forever.  You are amazing, Alexander, and I can't believe you are mine."

"Well, I am, so try and believe it," Alec whispered, closing the distance between them.  As they kissed, fireworks burst in the distance, but neither of them heard a thing. They were making fireworks of their own and intended to do so for the rest of their lives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end!
> 
> I am calling this fic officially over so I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm happy so many people were reading it and falling in love with the tropes that own my heart right along with me. 
> 
> -J

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr at [brooklynxmagic](http://brooklynxmagic.tumblr.com) or [astudyinfic](http://astudyinfic.tumblr.com)


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